The Tale of the Nine-Tailed Ninja
by ever changes
Summary: Nari isn't a normal ninja. She was raised by rogues, has hunted to feed herself, and most importantly, she's a nine-tailed ninja. A nine-tailed fox with the ability to take human form. The first one for ninety years. She's a demon child and she finds herself only relating with the jinchuriki of her time. Lemons later on. Gaara X O.C.
1. Orochimaru

**Okay, so Naruto got me obsessed with nine-tailed foxes. I know the one Naruto is stuck with is viscous as hell but what if he's not the only nine-tailed fox? What if there are more of them: smarter, smaller, and a little less gruesome? And, what if a select few of them, a very small few, could take human form? What would become of this "nine-tailed ninja"? **

**My nine-tailed foxes are obviously a lot different from the one the show displayed and I'll explain them as I go. Hey, don't knock it before you try it! As always, thanks for reading and please comment below.**

**P.S. Yes, I realize that none of this is possible. :/ **

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"You will never become a ninja," he growled. I lay sprawled across the ground, tears welling up behind my eyes. But they weren't tears of pain and sorrow. They were tears of anger. Who was this man to say what I could and could not do? He didn't know me. He didn't know what I was capable of. He didn't even know what I was! I pushed myself up, shaky from all the fighting. Sure, physically he was stronger than me, but my chakra was superior to his.

"I'll show you who will never be a ninja!" I put my hands close to my chest and quickly performed the hand signs for the only jutsu I knew. "Blast style: firestorm jutsu!" A harsh scream resounded around the forest. Birds flew out of their nests, desperate to escape whatever caused that horrible sound. I grunted as my jutsu faded. _At least the vultures will have a cooked meal tonight_, I thought before going on my merry way.

"If you keep that up, it won't just be rogue ninjas who know your name." I glanced up as Orochimaru slowly sank from his perch in a tree. I only recognized him because of the constant babble every ninja who bothered to come near me let loose about him. Honestly, I didn't see what was so magnificent about the guy. So what he's super powerful? I would be too if someone grew a pair and decided to teach me.

"_You_ don't even know my name, Orochimaru. I doubt I have anything to fear."

"True. I don't know your true name but you're more popularly known as the Nightmare of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"Is that so? That's funny. I don't recall the Village Hidden in the Leaves ever claiming me." One of Orochimaru's eyebrows rose in mock surprise.

"Even so, you do haunt their land." I smirked.

"I do them a favor."

"Indeed. Tell me, is this how you plan to spend the rest of your life: jumping from one rogue to the next, trying to get one to teach you his jutsu?"

"For a time. I still have plenty of life ahead of me."

"I see that." Orochimaru studied my small form. I heard his stare gave most people the creeps. I was used to being sized up. Everybody seemed to do that whenever I gave the inclination that I carried power. "How old are you, child?"

"Four," I snapped, perhaps a little too harshly. I was tired of that question. Why were humans so quick to judge by age? Sure, I was young, even for my race's standards, but why did that matter? I mean, it had been nearly ninety years since the last nine-tailed ninja roamed the earth. I was powerful, I was strong, I was determined, and I was young. Who cared? The other three didn't seem to do anything for me.

"Quite a tongue you have, for a four-year-old."

"I learn fast."

"I'm sure." I rolled my eyes. I didn't know why this guy was wasting my time. If he wanted to recruit me, he should know all he has to do is ask. If not, then why bother me? I would have to go hunting soon. I didn't need this guy following me around, scaring off my prey and altogether slowing me down. He could take his supposed genius and get lost. "It's a dangerous world for a four-year-old."

"Not for this one!" I declared, pointing at myself with my thumb.

"So it seems," he practically hummed. I glanced over at him, showing my most adorable smile. He cocked his head to the side but said nothing.

"Anyway…," I continued, feeling hunger gnaw at my stomach. I saw myself hunting, running at full speed after a rabbit. I felt its bones crush in my mouth as I killed it. I tasted the succulent mystery of fresh blood and raw meat. Even Orochimaru was starting to seem like good prey, albeit a difficult one to catch. _Ah! No, Nari. No human meat, no raw meat. Cooked meat, bone marrow. That's it! That's as far as you go to indulge that part of yourself. _I knew I wasn't supposed to act like the monster I was. I was the demon on two feet. I couldn't do something so beastly. "I'd like to go hunting and you'd only slow me down so… If you have something to say to me, out with it and leave me alone."

"Oh! Impatient, aren't we, child?" I shrugged. "I was considering taking you under my wing but to prove your worth, show me what you can do. If you're satisfactory, I will show you the ways of the shinobi and feed you." _Doubtful anything you scrap up will be satisfactory, but, eh, why not? _That's when I remembered why not. If half the rumors were true, my simple firestorm jutsu wouldn't be enough to toast this guy. And I really didn't know anything else.

"I'd rather not…," I admitted reluctantly.

"Why ever not?"

"It wouldn't be a fair match."

"You believe you are that much stronger than me?" I let out a shallow laugh.

"I'm not that arrogant. I only know one jutsu. I'm not the best fighter. I have my animalistic instincts and speed, but that's about all I got going for me, at the moment." _Well, and the massive amounts of chakra stored within my body that I can let out at a moment's notice but I'm trying to get that under control. I'm tired of accidentally toasting the forest because I get excited or something like that. _

"A wise child. Still, show me what you've got." I sighed inwardly but shrugged. _What do I have to lose? If I don't meet his satisfaction then I can hunt and he'll leave me be. If I do, then I have a free meal. No matter how meager. _

"Fine. I'll fight you, I suppose. But, on one condition."

"Yes?"

"No permanent injuries, okay? No curses, seals, or any of that other stuff shinobi like to try on their opponents." He frowned but nodded solemnly. "Your word," I demanded stubbornly. Sure, I may only be four years old, but most animals are considered adults at three. I was part animal. Although, my species considered four young too. But I wasn't a normal four-year-old. I was different. I was a nine-tailed ninja. I couldn't be judged by normal standards. I knew my stuff and I didn't want any tricks.

"You have my word as a ninja that I won't install any permanent injuries, curses, seals, or anything of the like." I nodded, pleased, and then crossed to the opposite side of the road, turning around to face him. _My first opponent that I probably won't leave for the vultures. This is sure to be interesting. _

Orochimaru attacked first, launching himself at me. _Thank God, he's not using any jutsus. _I easily dodged the attack and tried to punch him. He caught my fist and flipped me over, throwing me on the ground harshly. I slipped out of his grip and went low. I ran between his legs, using my disadvantage in size to my advantage. I then jumped up and kicked him on the back, only I didn't make contact. Orochimaru simply laughed and practically danced out of range. I balled my fists, infuriated by my inability to touch him. Even on my other opponents I had, at the very least, been able to land a blow. This guy was too fast for that. I growled in frustration and then everything went black.

"You were right," a cool voice said as I slowly regained consciousness. "You are a horrible fighter." The ends of my lips twitched as I suppressed a smile. "But let's take a look at your jutsu just in case." I pushed my self up and turned to face him. Orochimaru was perched on a tree branch. I could feel my black eye forming, but what did he expect? I was only four. I was still mastering the art of walking in a straight line.

"I told you I only know one."

"Right. Go ahead. Perform it for me." I sighed and put my hands together. I did all the moves I knew, perfectly, and then shouted out the name of the jutsu. I never did understand why ninja did that but it seemed to work. Fire balls shot through the air and struck in the general direction of the tree next Orochimaru's. My aim was a little bad, thanks to my lack of chakra control, and he had to dodge a few balls. When they landed, they exploded. I kept the strange fire raging, fueled only by my chakra for as long as I could. Finally, I had to let it go. Orochimaru stared at me as if I was a meal that wasn't as good as he had expected. My self-esteem deflated quite a bit. I thought it was a great jutsu and he wasn't even impressed.

"Anyway, are you going to leave me alone now?" I asked, knowing that I wasn't satisfactory to him.

"Answer me one more question."

"What?"

"What is your real name?" My head jolted up. What did he care what my real name was. Hell, I barely even knew my real name. I knew my nickname but I was only a year old when I first changed.

"Nari… Ninetails." _Yeah. Nine-tailed ninjas don't use normal last names. Right? I think that's what the scroll said._ I did, in the last three years, have a helpful teacher. He was the one who taught me the firestorm jutsu and how to read. He took me to a destroyed village (really, I led him because the way was eerily imprinted into my head. Animalistic instincts kicking in) where I found a scroll with instructions for young nine-tailed ninjas. I also managed to find a headband with nine tails engraved in it. It was big so it sat on my waist. I missed that rogue. It was my fault he was dead. The firestorm jutsu we had been practicing happened to come out along with a random burst of chakra. Let's just say I flattened the area. That's why I needed to get my chakra under control.

"Another day, Nari Ninetails. Another day." I stared after him as he disappeared.

"I doubt it," I mumbled under my breath. That's how things were for me. No one ever stuck around long and those who left with their lives never came back. My mother, the alpha of the nine-tailed foxes was supposed to be watching over me. She was supposed to teach me how to hunt. I hadn't seen her since I left the Village Hidden in the Leaves. When the jounin there refused to accept me as a future ninja, my race abandoned me. I was officially useless to them and completely lacking of a purpose. It was hard, but I was young and hopeful. Surely, there was a village that would accept me. In fact, I was headed for a different hidden village right then.

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**So what did you think? Gaara X O.C. romance is going to take a while but it'll get there. And, trust me, he pops up pretty fast. ;) Thanks for reading and please review!**


	2. The Other Demon Child

**Normally, I'm really bad at updating but I do have a couple of prewritten chapters that I'll be posting up every now and again. Anyway, have fun reading!**

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As one might imagine, a four-year-old on a mission tends to get distracted. Sure, I went to several hidden villages within a matter of four years, but I always seemed to take the long way around. I met many rogue ninjas who were willing to teach me in that time. I learned a lot and I killed a lot too. I didn't like being used though and there were many rogues that ended up dying by my hand. Everyone underestimates the child.

By the time I reached the last hidden village, that was either going to make me a ninja of honor or a rogue, I had earned a new name: The Demon Child. Technically, since nine-tailed foxes were considered demons for whatever reason, I was a demon child. I didn't mind the name and most rogues, even though they spoke of The Demon Child, didn't actually believe in her. My last three teachers didn't know that I was her until the day they misused me. I had an unwavering set of morals and people always seemed to test it. _Fools_, I scoffed inwardly at the memory.

Finally, I climbed out of the canyon and looked down upon the Village Hidden in the Sand. A gust of wind blew about and I held up an arm to block the sand. My eight-year-old self, skinny but stronger than many opponents (my teachers all paid special attention to my hand-to-hand combat and chakra control), felt content as I looked down about the village. Whether these people accepted me or not was of little matter. I had made it to the ultimate cross-road of my life. No matter the outcome, my life wouldn't be the same.

I scurried down the sand dune and into the village. Many villagers paid no attention to me as I scurried through the crowd. I saw a lot of ninja walking about, all seeming extremely powerful. I didn't care. I had grown more confident in my abilities. I could beat just about any ninja. I had even created a jutsu all my own. The only thing I hadn't mastered enough to be considered a good nine-tailed ninja was my ability to change forms. No matter how hard I tried, I had only shifted twice in the past seven years of my life, one into nine-tailed fox form, the other back to a human. The actual time I spent in my animal form was maybe a minute. It was miserable.

I shook such thoughts from my head and snuck around, peeking into various windows. I came upon a butcher shop and nearly fell to my knees. _The blood! I smell so much blood!_ "Get yourself together, Nari," I growled. In seven years, I had never tasted raw meat, never tasted blood. It was killing my beastly half. The only thing I could do to appease its insatiable hunger was to eat the bone marrow of the animals I did kill. I couldn't eat raw meat safely in human form, no matter the urging.

I quickly ran from the butcher shop, needing to get away from the blood. I leapt up to a roof top and caught the edge with my fingertips. I heaved myself up despite the murmurs that had started below me. I didn't care if the villagers saw me. To them I was some rude, strange kid. Why would their opinions matter any? Of course, they weren't actually talking. Most refrained from even glancing at me. It was a gift of the nine-tailed ninja, the ability to read minds. _More like a curse._ I already found it annoying and it was only supposed to grow stronger with age. One day, I'd have people screaming at me with their thoughts. I'm supposed to learn how to block them out but I didn't know where to begin. I tried meditating but nothing worked. I always heard those thoughts and they were louder when they were thinking about me.

"Hey, girl!" I stopped mid-run as I went to jump to the next roof. My ears perked up at being called to. I didn't have to scan the area for the source of the voice. My hearing was better than that, another supposed gift. Really, hearing wasn't all that bad but it was my lack of control over my senses. I'm supposed to be able to dim them at will, according to the scroll, but I couldn't figure out how. It was so FRUSTRATING!

"Yes?" I called back softly, looking at the ninja. He was obviously a jounin. I saw the mark of the sand village on his headband. He was tall and extremely muscular. A scar ran across his exposed face. He had a hard look in his eyes, as though he wished to kill something and that his next victim might, possibly, be me.

"Where are you from? What's your village? Where's your passport?" the ninja asked, pointing to the headband still around my waist. I hesitated, unsure how to explain to this ninja my peculiar circumstance. All the other jounin I had talked to hadn't even heard of a nine-tailed ninja, nor the Village of the Nine-Tailed Fox, which was what the symbol on my headband stood for.

The other ninja was impatient and stormed over to me. I let him grab my arm and hoist me into the air, staring at my headband. "I – I don't recognize the symbol," he stuttered, utterly shocked.

"I don't know how to explain it simply," I said softly. "Will you take me to the Kazekage though? I want an audience with him."

"What for?" the ninja growled, showing that he wasn't going to allow any funny business around the Kazekage. This was the reception I had gotten from the other jounin I had asked to take me to their Kages.

"Well, obviously, my headband is from no village you're familiar with. In fact, I'm the last ninja from there and it's pretty much useless. I was hoping to find a new village that I might be able to protect and serve."

"You're just a kid. You can't seriously expect me to believe you're a ninja."

"Oh, but I am. I can prove it. I know quite a few jutsu, all from varying villages and elements. I can produce shadow clones, wind swords, dense fogs, and more. I'm not a marvel really, not for my village, but I am different."

"Why doesn't your village want you anymore if you can really do all of that?"

"Because my village is deep in fire country and since I was the last ninja, they're finally going to accept the Hokage's power over them and join the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"Why not go to that village then?"

"Because, like you, the jounin questioned me extensively, not believing a word out of my mouth, and never took me to the Hokage. I'm running out of options." I didn't mention all the other Kages I had spoken to first, all of them denying me. They had enough Kunoichi. They didn't need me.

"Fine, I'll take you to the Kazekage." I nearly sprang out of his grasp with my overwhelming joy. Despite all the time I had spent trying to control my chakra, a small burst escaped, stabbing into the ninja's hand.

"Sorry," I said softly, looking guiltily at my feet as he dropped me from the pain. "I'm still working on that." The guy stared at me as if he thought I was some freak of nature. Technically, I was but…

"Just follow me, kid." He kept his distance after that, but watched me extensively as he led (more like herded) me to the Kazekage. I walked into a dank room and across from me, protected by iron bars, were three people. I instinctively dropped to my knees, recognizing the Kazekage in the center, thanks to his clothing.

"Who is this?" the man said sharply.

"She's a young ninja wishing to join our village's ranks, sir."

"But who _is_ she?" The Kazekage sure had a short tempter. _Patience is a virtue,_ I hummed to myself, not feeling the stress in the situation. The ninja who had brought me wanted to strangle me and flee for his life at the same time; the Kazekage's mind was distracted by some other thoughts that sounded like unintelligible whispering to me. The other two on either side of him were sizing me up, seeing if I was worth the risk of being a spy and other things their imagination could strike up.

"Uh…" the jounin muttered.

"Nari Ninetails, at your service," I said formally, standing up and taking a low bow. All the different villages had different cultures but I always tried to be as respectful as possible to the Kages. I dropped back to my knees after introducing myself. All four of the ninja deemed me a strange, obviously foreign child.

"She's definitely from another village but I doubt she's a spy," one of the Kazekage's advisers muttered.

"Yes," the other agreed. "No village in their right mind would send this dimwit as a spy. Not unless they were desperate." _Even so_, I heard the Kazekage think. Suddenly, he snapped to full attention, taking in every detail of my body as he could.

"Stand," he ordered. "And look straight forward." I did as I was bid, going into my best posture. I wanted to make the best first impression possible. _Did she say her name was Nari Ninetails? Could it really be the Nightmare of the Village Hidden in the Leaves? The Demon Child of Fire?_ As he studied me he declared, _Yes, yes it is. _"Be gone with you!" he roared unexpectedly. "I'll not have anything to do with another demon child. Go before I have my jounin kill you."

"I beg you to reconsider that threat, Lord Kazekage," I said coolly, in the most respectful way possible. Yeah, I was being rude but he had offended me. What had I ever done to him? "I also beg you to reconsider your decision. Yes, I am a demon child, an extremely powerful one, and I assure you that this is a decision you will only live to regret for a few moments. Your death will be quick but painful. Do not consider this a threat, Lord Kazekage. I speak only the truth."

"How dare you speak to Lord Kaze…?" The jounin was silenced by a wave of the Kazekage's hand.

"I've dealt with those like you…" _Doubtful_, I thought before interrupting him.

"Do not be mistaken, Lord Kazekage. I am not a child with a demon sealed within her, for I have recently heard of such things. I am a demon who happens to be a child. One day I will be a demon that looks like a woman. Then, when I kill you, I will show you my true form and you will see that I am, and have always been, a pure demon." Despite the fact that he stilled his own trembling body, I could hear his fear screaming in his mind. He believed me, just as he should. "It is no matter, anyhow," I ended softly. "I wish you a fine evening, Lord Kazekage." I stepped past the jounin who was literally cowering in my presence and went back outside to the fresh air.

_I probably shouldn't stick around too long_, I thought as I perambulated the village, peeking at interesting sights. I was tired though, from my journey and chakra outburst, and, of course, the encounter with the Kazekage. In fact, I was exhausted and instead of looking for a well protected place, as I should have, I curled up in the back of an alley and promptly fell asleep.

►§◄

_What a pretty full moon,_ I thought as I stared up at the sky, waking slowly. It truly was. Its surfaced sparkled out light, radiating across the sand village, turning it into a mysterious collection of uneven buildings. The shadows turned my alley into a pitch black abyss. Doors and windows looked like gaping eyes and mouths. No lights flickered from the windows of buildings. All was silent and still.

I stretched like a cat, my hands reaching out in front of me, and then I sprang to my feet. Such beauty should be explored. It had been a long time since I last gazed upon such a magnificent sight. Tonight, the boundaries between civilization and nature were blurred, just like in my soul. I was hungry though, and I knew I'd have to hunt tomorrow. There were jackrabbits outside of the village, I had seen them on my way in, but they'd be nigh impossible to find in the night.

I wandered slowly, carefully out of my alley. No matter the circumstances, I had to be alert and prepared for attack. I didn't know my enemies like most did. I had to be precautious. Who knew when one might appear and strike?

I jumped up and again scrambled onto a rooftop. I peered around, taking in the sights around me. I smelt blood, fresh blood. Hunger took its toll, my instincts desiring to devour the wounded being. I stooped into a crouch and slowly advanced to my new found prey, using my sense of smell as a guide. I was almost upon them, separated only by the slant of a roof when an ear piercing scream rang out. I jumped in surprise at the sight before me.

"Gaara, no, don't!" I was peering over the top of the roof, down at a little boy who had his victim incased in sand. A second one lay dead at the boy's feet. The victim was a ninja, probably a jounin, and his pleas were futile. The little boy closed his hand in a fist and his victim was crushed instantly.

"Whoa! How did you do that?" I exclaimed, leaping from my hiding place. The boy looked at me with cold, ice blue eyes. He wasn't much younger than me, if not the same age or older. It was hard to tell in the night, looking as sad and lost as he did. "Will you teach me how?" I practically begged. If I could control sand like that, then I wouldn't have to be so afraid of my enemies. Blood rained down on top of us but I didn't flinch. I looked eagerly towards the boy who just stared back.

"Who are you?" he demanded in a cold voice, but I saw how frightened he was. Maybe he wasn't used to killing people? I wondered why he had done it in the first place. Did they hurt him or something? No, I couldn't see a scratch on the kid. The blood I had smelt must've been from his first victim.

"Nari Ninetails, at your service," I said formally, taking a bow. "Are you Gaara?" He nodded slowly, watching me as though I was tiger about to strike.

"How did you know?"

"That guy said your name when he was pleading for his life. I guess he shouldn't have messed with you, huh? He was a fool. What did he do anyway?"

"He came to assassinate me," Gaara said softly. Finally, my eyes discerned a teddy bear he was hugging to his chest.

"Whoever sent him must be really afraid of you to try something so desperate." Gaara nodded again. "You look scared, Gaara. What are you afraid of with all that sand you can use to protect yourself? There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Really?" he asked incredulously. _This kid must be a lot like me. I wonder if he has any friends at all._

"Why would I hurt you?"

"Because… Because I'm a demon child."

"You too?" I exclaimed excitedly. No wonder why he was all alone. I wondered if this was the demon child that the Kazekage hinted about. He peered at me with a new burst of curiosity.

"You're a demon child?"

"Yeah." I crawled along the roof, sitting next to him and staring at the moon.

"Do you ever… Do you ever thirst for blood?" I cocked my head to the side, analyzing that question.

"Yeah, I do, but not the way you do, I think. I actually thirst to drink blood and eat raw meat. I don't just want to kill."

"And do you ever actually do it?"

"Well, not with the blood and raw meat no. But I do crave bone marrow, too, so I eat that sometimes. I like it."

"You eat bones?"

"I eat the spongy stuff inside of bones."

"So if I brought you a bone, you'd eat the stuff in the middle?"

"Yup!" Gaara jumped up and ran towards his first victim's body. The other's was laying in splatters all around. "Well, not humans'. I was told not to do that."

"Oh," he muttered softly and then came back to me. "You seem so… happy. Aren't you upset that you're a demon child?"

"Why would I be? I am what I am and my demon side makes me powerful and strong. I embrace who I am. Why would I deny my own nature?"

"But it's not really your nature; it's your demon's nature." _He must be a child with a demon inside of him. Poor kid. Maybe that's why he's so scared. He's scared of himself. It's not in _his_ nature to kill, at least not yet. It's the demon making him a blood thirsty and ruthless killing machine. _

"Not for me. I _am_ a demon. I just happen to look like a child. You must have a demon trapped inside of you." Gaara nodded. "Still, I think we're one in the same. I bet our demonic aspect isn't the only thing we have in common. We're both lonely too."

"You're lonely?" Gaara asked. "Don't you have adult demons to take care of you?" I shook my head.

"I'd expect that you'd have your parents to look after you. I mean, you're still human." He shook his head sadly, looking down and crushing his teddy bear.

"My mom's dead and my dad hates me." My jaw dropped. Not even I had it that bad. "Anyway, who told you not to eat humans if no one takes care of you?"

"This did," I volunteered, pulling out my scroll. It was top secret but Gaara didn't seem to be one to betray my secrets. He took it from my hand and opened it up, somehow managing to read it in the dim light.

"A nine-tailed ninja?"

"Mm-hm. I'm a nine-tailed fox demon with the ability to shape-shift into human form."

"Like a transformation jutsu?" _A transformation jutsu? I've never heard of that. Still, transform… It's probably the same._

"Yeah, but I do it naturally. I don't have to use any chakra to change. I don't even have to use hand signs."

"Show me."

"Well, I can't," I reluctantly said, grabbing my upper arm. "I haven't figured out how to do it at will. It just happens. But will you show me how to control the sand?"

"I can't," he answered, almost laughing. A small smile touched his lips at the irony but it didn't reach his eyes. _Poor kid doesn't know how to live anymore._ "It's the demon that controls the sand. I know some jutsus to help make it do what I please, but mostly it does it on its own. It doesn't even let anyone touch me anymore."

"Really?" I exclaimed, going out to touch his arm. A wall of sand sprang up. There was sand all over the place and I was surprised at how fast it moved to protect him. "Cool," I mumbled, dragging my fingers along the hard sand. "I'm so jealous."

"But you're an actual demon. You must have things you can do that no one else can."

"Oh, yeah. I do! Watch this." I stood up and walked a little ways away from Gaara. I still had issues with chakra control and I didn't want to hurt him on accident, even if his sand could somehow protect him. I moved my hands in an intricate, long pattern and then shouted, "Nine tails jutsu!" Tails formed by wind appeared on top of the roof, surrounding me. It was like Gaara's sand, nothing could touch me when I was inside. I let the jutsu go, the tails disappearing, and went back to Gaara's side. His wall had fallen.

"Does it only work with wind?"

"No. The first time I did it, I was in a forest and the tails were made up of tree roots. I've done it with water before too. I think it just has to be made up of something surrounding me. I'm sure I could do it with sand if I wanted to." Gaara nodded.

"I'm glad I didn't kill you," he said softly. I was taken aback, at first, but then relaxed. He had probably thought about simply because of his unusual situation.

"Yeah, me too. We could learn so much together. We could protect each other!" I waited anxiously for his reply to the offer I had just made.

"You mean… You mean you want to stay with me?"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh. I…" He glanced down at his teddy bear. "I'd like that a lot. Allies?" he asked, sticking out his hand.

"Friends," I corrected, grabbing the sand that formed around him. I smiled, laughing at it. I'd tease him for that, his over protective sand. Gaara smiled back and put his hand down. "Anyway, it's late. You should probably sleep."

"I don't sleep." I stared at him. Could that seriously be true? "My demon…"

"Right, right. Whatever. It doesn't matter. But I sleep and I have to go hunting tomorrow so I hope you don't mind if I rest."

"You're not freaked out by that?"

"No. I told you, Gaara, just accept who you are. There's nothing wrong with you, even if you are a demon child."

"O – Okay. I'll protect you while you sleep."

"Thanks, Gaara," I muttered, curling up into a ball on the rooftop. I heard his frequent breathing but his mind was silent. There wasn't even a humming noise like I got from other people who weren't thinking about me. _His demon must be shielding his mind from me. That's okay. I doubt Gaara will hurt me. It looks like I'm the only friend he has._ I slowly drifted off, reassuring myself that I was safe as long as I was with him, even if we did have a corpse a mere yard away and were covered in blood. None of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was that Gaara needed me, just as much as I needed him.

When I finally awoke, the sun was high in the area. I looked around but Gaara was no where to be found, the corpse had disappeared too and the blood splatters had been washed away by something, besides those on me. I could feel the thick crust of dry blood on my clothes, face, body, and hair. _He must've cleaned up his mess and then wandered off._

I got up and first went to a well in the middle of the village. Other children were there, cooling off with the water. I washed the blood off me and no one seemed to find it odd that a little girl was covered in someone else's blood. It didn't alarm me though. As long as no one messed with me, I was all right.

Afterwards, I looked all over for Gaara. I did so discreetly, hiding in the shadows, peering around corners. There was nothing. Not a trace of him. It was as if he had never existed but no. I had been covered in blood. He had to have been there. I tried to search a couple people's minds to see if they had seen him, but I couldn't

I stayed in the Village Hidden in the Sand for three days, searching for my friend but he was gone. I gave up sadly and decided it was time I get gone too. I looked back at the village before traveling into the desert again, hunting jackrabbits along the way. I'd miss him, whoever he was. And I learned from that, that no matter how genuine someone might seem, I couldn't believe everything they said. I learned not to trust strangers so easily and to keep away from big groups of people. I was better off alone and it was time I dealt with it. That's probably why God made me alone in the first place.

I went along my way, hoping to cross paths with another rogue ninja who was willing to teach me. I found them. I found lots of them and I found my enemies too.

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**Thanks for reading, and please review! I love to hear from my readers on how I can get better. Anyhoo, have a nice day!**


	3. Beyond Satisfactory

**Howdy! It's another Nari only chapter. :/ I'm sorry. I normally don't spend so much time developing a character but I think it's important or it wouldn't make much since to why she and Gaara get together. So bear through it with me. And, as always, thanks for reading and enjoy!**

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Five years passed. Five years in which I learned to control all of my gifts, besides shape-shifting. I learned transformation jutsus but it wasn't the same. I still couldn't figure out how to take my natural form. It didn't matter though, because none of the rogues found that mysterious ability as useful. They liked me as a human and trained me that way. My extra abilities I had to teach myself.

"I knew we'd meet again, NariNinetails," a low voice called from the trees. I glanced up and studied Orochimaru. He hadn't changed much in the past nine years. I, on the other hand, had grown my black hair down to my bum. I was taller, obviously stronger, and my red eyes could make out every detail of the stitching in the fabric he wore. He still had the same pale skin and black hair.

"What do you want with my student, Orochimaru?" Itachi, my newest rogue trainer, said coolly. He was from the Uchiha clan from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He was a great fighter but sick and twisted in the head. I only stuck around because of the immense power he could teach me. Of course, I'd never have Sharingan like him but that was all right.

"Why, we're old friends," Orochimaru said. _Old acquaintances maybe, but not friends. _I peered into Orochimaru's mind to see what he really wanted with me. He was looking for new recruits. He wanted to test me again. The thing about my ability to read minds is that no one knew I could do it. I also had limited control over the gift. I could decide whether or not to search deeper into someone's mind and I could completely shut out someone's thoughts as long as they weren't thinking of me. If they were, then it was exactly as if they were talking to me. I could try to tune them out but I could still hear them. It was frustrating. Sometimes I heard thoughts I really didn't want to hear.

It did have a lot of advantages, though. I could pick out enemies in large crowds, find people by their thoughts alone, listen in on conversations from up to five miles away, and check on those I'm supposed to be protecting. I couldn't communicate to them but I could draw out memories to the surface of their brain if I so pleased. I had used the gift for torture only once and the man barely had time to beg for mercy before I snapped his neck.

Being able to read minds also meant that I could find prey easier. No longer would jackrabbits elude me in the desert, or robins' nests in forest. It really was quite something, not as annoying as I once presumed. That's why I kept it a secret. It was my greatest weapon and no one else needed to know about it.

"Nari, what business do you and Orochimaru share?" Itachi demanded.

"Nothing, really. What _do_ you want?" I asked, redirecting my attention to Orochimaru. He gave me a sly smile.

"I'd like to see how much you've grown." _I already know what you want so just say it straight for Itachi. _"Will you let me test you again?" I considered it for a moment. _If I meet his satisfaction, he'll want me to go with him. Then again, Itachi really is a sick guy. He murdered his own family. It's probably for my own good to leave him._

"You want to steal my student," Itachi realized.

"Oh, don't be so surprised. We both have heard rumors of her immense powers but let's be honest. She's useless to someone whose purpose she doesn't believe in. Isn't that right, NariNinetails? How many rouges have you killed now?" _Forty-six, but who's counting? _

"What makes you think I'll believe in your purpose?" I said instead, getting the subject off the amount of blood on my hands. Itachi still desperately wanted to know the number but I wasn't going to give in. That wasn't anyone's business besides my own.

"I plan to attack the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"You're not the only one with a grudge against them," Itachi pointed out. I stayed silent, pretending to be considering the proposition. In truth, I was searching for the extent of Orochimaru's grudge. I found it with shock. He planned to start a war against the ninja there. I went to discover why but my attention was needed elsewhere. Orochimaru had thrown a kunai at me. I deflected it with the staff/stick in my hand.

"Excuse me, Nari, but you seemed unusually distracted. I wanted to make sure you were listening," he muttered softly. He had pointed out to Itachi that his ill will against the village wasn't anywhere close to Orochimaru's and that there was no way I actually liked Itachi's way of doing things. Orochimaru wanted me to back up the statement.

"I always listen," I said, making it sound like a threat. In a way, it was. I glanced down at my staff. I had carved the wood with my nails, smoothing out the surface with rocks. I didn't have the ability to collect ninja tools, as others did and I found weapons a necessity. It was still wood though and the kunai's impact had splintered part of the surface. I placed the splinters back in place with some chakra before saying anything more. "But Orochimaru is right, Itachi. I don't like the way you do things." _I would do anything for a family. I don't know how you could have destroyed your own. _

"So you will allow me to test you," Orochimaru assumed. I agreed softly and warned Itachi with my eyes not to get in my way, though I doubted he would. It began immediately. The kunai came first, followed by shuriken. I knew he wanted to see the full extent of my abilities so I used my tails jutsu. Tails made up of tree roots deflected the weapons. I heard Orochimaru's inner exclamation of satisfaction.

"Show me what you can do with your body," he ordered. I let the tails fall back into the ground and posed to fight him. He struck first, trying to knock me out again. I laughed and easily dodged the blow, landing my own to a pressure point near his collar bone. It worked effectively and that half of his body fell dramatically. My opponent growled and came back fiercer. Again, I evaded all of his blows and each attempt he gave at me, I struck him.

Before long, Orochimaru realized I was a better fighter than him. He was hopeless to my attacks so he stopped the fight and asked to see a display of my chakra control. I easily walked up a tree with just my feet, even hanging upside down from a branch. I could see in his mind that I was already beyond satisfactory. Now he was desperate to have me. "Yes, you'll do," he said coolly, pretending not to be so easily impressed. I just smirked and waved good-bye to Itachi. Within seconds, Orochimaru and I were off to his hide out. Unlike other rogues, Orochimaru had a set home that few knew about. I only did thanks to my journey in his head.

"Where are we going," I started anyway, just so he wouldn't catch on. I was hopping through trees with him, easily keeping pace, but letting him take the lead. The only thing that slowed me down was my staff. Even so, I could've out ran him if I pleased. No, I hadn't mastered any form of transportation jutsus, but that was all right. Why should I? I was fast enough without.

"A safe place," he assured me. I shrugged and kept following. Abruptly, I stopped. The smell of blood was overwhelming and I was hungry. I was always hungry. Orochimaru stopped too, watching me. My animalistic instincts took over, the scent was just too strong to resist. I turned to the scent's source and crept forward, moving from tree to tree silently. Orochimaru followed with the same amount of stealth, wondering what I intended to do. He could smell the blood too but it wasn't as appealing to him.

I glanced down from my tree, at my soon-to-be prey, and froze. It was a mountain lion. A long gash ran down his front, left paw. I read his mind and discovered he had been attacked by another mountain lion that had two cubs not far from here. He would be such easy prey, completely unsuspecting, already worn out. My logic side disagreed. Even if I did manage to kill, I'd have to cook him and that would slow me and Orochimaru down. Besides, it wasn't _cooked _meat I was craving; it was succulent, bloody, _raw_ meat. And my animal-half wasn't listening to reason.

I was completely beyond sense. I went on to all fours, dropping my staff, and crouched before pouncing. I heard a small gasp from my companion but ignored it. I landed on top of the wounded animal and buried my face in his throat, clamping my mouth around it. I shut my jaws and heard the bones crack. Before I had even realized what I had just done, I was feasting on the mountain lion. That's when the lack of fingers finally hit my brain.

I paused and looked down at my hands, but they weren't hands anymore, they were paws! Real paws! Not just some stupid transformation; the white paws of the royal line of nine-tailed fox! I jumped up into the air in my excitement, seeing that my body was now orange. I twitched my ears and then snarled. It was a horrifying growl. _Perfect!_ I turned my head as far back as I could and saw my tails. All nine of them stood fully perked up. I tried to move them and they all moved individually, like fingers! They weren't just a whirling mess. They were useful. I could deflect attacks with them.

_This must be the first time she's changed,_ another person's thoughts rang in my mind. I looked up at Orochimaru. I had forgotten all about him. I simply purred, displaying my glee. I didn't even know nine-tailed foxes purred! I knew so little about this form; I didn't want to change back. "Finish your meal," Orochimaru called. I bobbed my head and devoured the meat. It took me maybe a half hour to fill my stomach. Then I cleaned my muzzle in the grass and, despite my reluctance, tried to focus on changing back. It took me a few minutes, but I got it and stood unsteadily.

"That was amazing," I commented, jumping back into the trees after picking up my one and only weapon.

"First time?" he assumed.

"No, but the first time it actually lasted longer than a few seconds."

"Hm…" Then he took off, expecting me to follow. I did. _It took less than a second to crush the neck of that mountain lion in her jaws. I didn't think that taking her true form would be useful. Perhaps I was wrong. But she's still young and she's already the size of that mountain lion? It will be hard to conceal her when she's like that. And the tails. You could spot those from a mile away. _I wanted to reassure him about my size. Nine-tailed foxes had the ability to control their size with chakra. It was an instinct. We grew to the size needed to have a decent advantage over our prey. We did have a limit to our size, but, without that gift, a full grown nine-tailed fox would be about the size of a fox. The tails though. I was sure I could scrunch them together to look like one extremely bushy tail, but would it fool anyone?

When we stopped to rest for the night, I sat silently as Orochimaru ate his dinner. I was still full from my hunt. He was still thinking about my transformation. "You said that was your first time in that form for more than a few seconds. Were you not born like that?"

"Oh, well, I never really considered that first year. I don't remember much of it. I hadn't even learned to communicate sufficiently with the others of my race when I changed. My mother gave me a few lessons on the race before I changed. That's pretty much all I remember. I clung to those memories because my race abandoned me. I wasn't sure if I'd ever have the chance to learn them again."

"What sort of lessons?"

"Well, I can't tell you most of them, race secrets and such, but I guess I can give you some petty examples. My paws, for example, are white. That means I'm of royal bloodline to the nine-tailed foxes. I think my mother was the supreme alpha but I can't remember. And she taught me that my tails can protect me from most any attack. She taught me culture and a little about myself."

"Your father?"

"I think he's dead. Can't be sure. He might have left the original company as a rogue. It doesn't matter. Mating for nine-tailed foxes isn't like humans. Some fathers stick around but usually they mate and get lost."

"And what is mating like for nine-tailed foxes?"

"I don't know."

"Nine-tailed ninjas? Can you fall in love with a human? Are there stipulations?" There was a hint of mockery in his second question but I knew from his thoughts that he was genuinely curious.

"I've never thought about it before," I lied. "I don't know." In truth, the scroll had told me that I, _technically_, could fall in love and mate with a normal human if I so pleased but it was considered disgraceful. For me, doing that might end up eradicating nine-tailed ninja forever. I wasn't sure if that would be a bad thing. That would prevent a future child like me to be raised the way I was. Demon children should stick with villages. I didn't like the idea of their creation, like with Gaara, but if demon children had to exist, that was the way to go. They may be mentally tortured, but at least they had some upbringing. Even Gaara, I was sure, would eventually be accepted back into his village as a ninja. That was, if he was still alive, or had even existed in the first place. My mind still liked to speculate the details of that strange night.

"How unfortunate." _Not really. What does it matter to you?_ I searched his mind for that answer. It caught me off guard. He was actually hoping I'd fall in love with some ninja so that there would be a second generation of powerful, demon children, even if their blood was diluted. "And you are the only nine-tailed ninja in existence, correct?"

"Yes. It's been nearly ninety years since the last one."

"I see." He really did. Not only did he see how unfortunate of a person I was, with no one who actually understood what I am, either as being the same or simply knowing why I was that way. He also noted that that meant I could very well be the last, at least in his lifetime. He was a strange mind to behold. He liked to take advantage of people but he knew he wouldn't get away with that with me. He was going to try and treat me as an equal, that way I might consider him a friend and willingly work for him. What he didn't realize was that _I_ was just going to use _him_. I wanted to learn and hone my skills. I wasn't going to do anything for this guy. The Village Hidden in the Leaves may have turned me out and abandoned me but I didn't want a war. It was the fault of one jounin, not the entire village. What was this guy's deal?

"You can sleep," he said so low that I almost didn't hear him. I was hesitant to sleep. What if he disappeared or attacked me? His mind showed that he really did want me on his side, craved me even, but I knew that things could change in the middle of the night. Still, I did need to rest and it wasn't long until I succumbed to the fiery mess that made up my dreams.

I woke up in the middle of the night to find Orochimaru keeping watch. He was plotting silently. I saw his want, his need to find a new body. _A new body?_ _What the hell?_ I dug deeper into the recesses of his mind and discovered a horrid truth. He stole the bodies of strong individuals and used them as his own. _This guy is almost as sick as Itatchi. Who am I getting myself in with?_ I wondered silently. I didn't say anything though and soon fell back to sleep without him being any the wiser.

We made it to his village the next day. There were plenty of other ninja there, training. They were attacking things with sound! _Wow. I've never heard of sound jutsu. Will Orochimaru teach _that_ to me?_ I studied my new comrades as they attacked. Orochimaru let me be for the time being, curious to what I would do. We stood for hours, observing. Me observing his genin, him observing me.

"No, no, no, no, no," I finally intervened during a rather lengthy match. The younger one, Jukiro, should easily out match the older boy, but he was losing miserably. They both stopped and glared at me, upset that I had the nerve to put in my input. They thought I didn't know a thing about fighting. I was a girl, after all. Still, I knew my own fighting skills were superior to theirs. Orochimaru was surprised that I had butt-in.

"Why don't you go practice throwing kunai or something? We don't need your help," Jukiro growled.

"No, Hasna," the other boy, "doesn't. But you do. Think about it, Jukiro. You can control high frequency pitches, pitches that most humans could never dream of hearing. When using your technique right, you've been able to blow up water balloons, correct?" I had been watching Jukiro ever since our arrival since I did have the ability to hear his weapon.

"Yeah…," he muttered. "But I don't want to kill Hasna."

"Of course not. Of course not. That's not what I was implying. What I'm trying to get out is that you can send extremely powerful vibrations out of your hands, at your opponents. If you utilized your gift probably, you'll be able to completely incapacitate your opponent without them realizing why. They wouldn't grab at their ears. They'd simply pass out."

"Sound can do that?"

"Sound can do anything," I assured him. "Give it a shot. But don't go too high. That can kill him." Jukiro nodded and refocused on Hasna.

"Wait a second," Hasna cut in. "Why should we believe a word you say? You're not even a sound ninja." He pointed at my headband.

"Because I have the ability to actually hear the pitches he throws at you. I know how those affect humans. I've seen it in action."

"You talk as though you aren't human."

"That's because I'm not." Both of the genin backed up hesitantly. "But don't worry about what I am. All you need to know is that I'm here to help and to learn. Just trust me and listen. Now, Jukiro. Try it." Jukiro nodded and looked at Hasna. The other boy braced himself and waited for the attack. Jukiro put his hands together and built up enough chakra before releasing the jutsu. Hasna fell instantly, unconscious. I rubbed my ears, which had started to bleed uncomfortably.

"That was…amazing!" Jukiro exclaimed. I nodded and I knew Orochimaru was smiling. I had hit all of his expectations and gone beyond. I was the child of his dreams. I knew what I was doing, I was powerful, and I could kick his ass. He needed me.

"Come now, Nari," Orochimaru commanded. "And, Jukiro," the young disciple looked at him expectantly, "don't use that unless it's absolutely necessary. You're just as likely to incapacitate your teammates as your enemies."

"Of course, Lord Orochimaru." Jukiro wandered off, staring at the gadgets on his wrist with a new found appreciation. I smiled, pleased with myself. Who knew I would be such a good teacher?

Orochimaru took me inside a small, empty building and stopped. He turned around and studied me, pushing back my black hair and wiping away the blood dripping from my ears. "Now you know the extent of the gifts I have convened here. Would you like to join their ranks?" I pondered the question for a moment.

"No," I answered truthfully. Orochimaru was taken aback. He had assumed I'd be eager to join his genin. "I can't take the sounds all day long. Today alone was enough for me. My ears are far too sensitive for such things. No, I'm afraid I'll have to decline that offer. But I'd still like to train under you."

"I see," he said but he really didn't. He had no clue how hard it was for me to have so much noise bouncing around. I was actually surprised that my ears hadn't started bleeding earlier. They had been hurting since we got in range of the training grounds. "Alright then, Nari. I will train you." We started that very same day, working well into the night.

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**Please review and tell me what you thought of it!**


	4. The Village Hidden in the Leaves

**I finally caught up to the first part of the series. Hurray! It's another Nari centered chapter though. Sorry. :/**

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As I had expected, my time with Orochimaru was short lived. Only a year after we had begun (which was actually longer than I had had any other sensei), I left him. Orochimaru was about to set his plan of destroying the HiddenLeafVillage in motion. He had wanted me to do some special mission but I refused and that's when he realized I wasn't there for him. He sent me off, not wanting to fight me anymore than I wanted to fight him. I was sure I could win but it'd be a long, arduous fight that just wasn't worth it. Someone else would take care of Orochimaru. I was sure of it.

Still, I wasn't going to pass up my chance to finally earn the trust and respect of the village that I really wanted to accept me. I set out for the Village Hidden in the Leaves, thinking that when Orochimaru attacked, I could fight alongside their ninja. That way they'd know, at the very least, I was an ally.

It took me a little over a month to reach the village because of all the distractions I encountered. I stared up at what should've been my childhood home, at the huge walls, and grinned. I could already tell that it'd take more than Orochimaru to defeat this village. I was in the trees above the road to the entrance to the village. Other foreign ninja were entering as well, and I saw them take out passports to show they had the right to be there. I frowned. I didn't have a passport, nor did I have a way to get one. It didn't take me long to devise a plan to get around that issue.

I went a ways away from the entrance and started to use my staff as a cane. I leaned on it heavily and limped towards the entrance. The foreign ninja that passed by didn't say a word as they saw me hobbling along. A few of them had the desire to help "such a poor kid," but they resisted for fear of criticism from their teammates. I didn't care. It'd be better for me to enter the village by myself, not accompanied by potential enemy ninja to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

I didn't slow as I approached the gates (mostly because slowing at my pace meant stopping). I tried to walk straight through and nearly did it, too, until one of the two guards spotted the headband at my waist. "Hey, you. Halt," he ordered. I fumbled as I stopped and stared at him in a faked surprise. He thought it was real. _How is this kid a ninja?_ I heard him think, studying how I rested on my staff. "Where's your passport?" he demanded.

"P-Passport?" I cried out in shrill confusion. "What – What do you mean? Why – Why do I – I need a passport? I – I – I l-live here." The two guards were shocked.

"You're a ninja here?" the second guard asked incredulously.

"N-Ninja? I'm not a n-ninja." _That makes a lot more sense,_ the second ninja decided. _Poor kid probably can't even do ninjutsu._

"Then why are you wearing that headband?" the first ninja demanded. I glanced down at my headband as if I had forgotten all about it.

"This?" I replied, holding it up. "My – My dad gave it t-to me. I – I – I always wanted t-to be a n-ninja but I – I – I always got s-sick, so the a-academy didn't want me. My – My dad gave it t-to me t-to make me feel bet-better." _I bet the girl hasn't been out of the hospital more than a few times in her life,_ the first ninja assumed.

"What's the symbol then?" he demanded anyway.

"Oh, come on, Veske. Let the kid pass. She's obviously not a threat," the second guard argued. I smiled gratefully at him. I tried to look exhausted and it worked.

"Well, alright then," the first one answered hesitantly. "I'll let her go but I still want to know what that symbol is. I've never seen the likes of it before."

"Oh. It's the s-symbol of the nine – nine-tailed f-fox because it – it healed really quickly. My – my dad wants me t-to heal really quickly too." _This girl's dad fought the nine-tailed fox? _the second wondered.

"Who's your dad?" he asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"I thought you said to stop giving her a hard time, Chiruaya," Veske intervened. Chiruaya blushed and nodded. "Go on through, kid. And tell your dad that we didn't mean to give you a hard time."

"O – Okay," I stuttered as I hobbled into the village. I kept up my act until I was well away from the gate. Then I stretched, my muscles having cramped leaning on the staff. I sighed and looked around. I was in the shopping section of town. In truth, it was the first time since I had gone to such a place. I never had any money so I usually didn't bother with shops, but now my curiosity was getting the best of me. I walked around, peeking at all the strange objects they were selling.

There were necklaces, ribbons, bracelets, ink, blank scrolls, and so much more. There were a ton of food venders but I didn't so much as look at those shops. I was always hungry and I knew the possibility of smelling one of the uncooked slabs of meat they had in the back was too much of a risk to take. I was getting better control over my transformation but it still depended heavily on the scent of fresh blood.

"Hey, you there," someone called to me after a few hours in the shopping plaza. I looked towards the source of the sound and was surprised to see Veske coming after me. It was too late to try and act weak now. I placed my hand on top of my staff and waited for him to come to me. _I knew there was something wrong with this girl_, I heard him scold himself. _I should've never let her in._ "Feeling better already?"

"Don't play with me, Veske. Yes, you caught me. Now get on with it. What do you want?" He was shocked by the newfound strength in my voice.

"I want to now under which Kage you serve."

"I don't serve under any Kage. No village has ever taken me nor claimed me. I am a lone ninja. Not a rogue. Simply alone. I have no one to serve."

"So that act at the gate; that was so you could get in without a passport? Are you here for the Chuunin Exams?" _Chuunin Exams? I wouldn't mind becoming a chuunin_, I thought.

"Yeah. I was hoping to find a way in."

"Well, now I'm taking you to the Hokage."

"Whatever." He glared at me but said nothing as he led me through the village. I stopped suddenly, a strange scent catching my attention. It smelled like… It smelled like another nine-tailed fox! I immediately sent my mind searching for its conscious so that I might verify my belief. Instead, I couldn't find a single slip of a conscious. I growled in frustration and instead looked for a mind nearby to the one of my focus. I found one; whose name I soon discovered was SasukeUchiha.

Sasuke was perched up in a tree, staring down at… _Could it truly be?_ Staring at who I immediately recognized as Gaara. Gaara had grown so much. He was no longer a scared little boy. He was strong and impossibly cold-hearted. I again tried to reach his mind, as I once attempted so many years ago, but there was nothing.

Reluctantly, I pushed away thoughts of Gaara, despite that that was who Sasuke was focused on. Instead, I picked through Sasuke's memory to find out about the mysterious blonde haired boy that was obviously emanating the scent of a nine-tailed fox. I discovered, with a mixture of surprise and horror, that the boy had a nine-tailed fox sealed inside of him.

Veske cleared his throat loudly, snapping me out of Sasuke's mind. I vowed to myself that I'd find both Gaara and the blonde haired boy after I finished my business with the Hokage. "Yes?" I asked coolly, as though nothing had transpired. _This kid has issues, _he assumed.

"You just stopped randomly."

"I thought I heard something but it was nothing. Let us continue." He nodded sharply and kept walking. It was a good half hour before we reached the Hokage.

"Veske, who is this?" the old man demanded, staring at me while smoking a pipe. The red outfit gave away his powerful position.

"Lord Hokage, this girl snuck into this village acting like a sick and weak civilian. She fooled both Chiruaya and I. I discovered her over a half hour ago in the shopping plaza. She claims to be a lone ninja, saying that no village has ever claimed her."

"Ah, but who is she?"

"NariNinetails," I answered for Veske. The Hokage glared at me with disbelief. I discovered in his mind that he knew about nine-tailed ninjas and the pact that had been made with the nine-tailed foxes long ago. He also realized, that if no village had ever claimed me, then the Village Hidden in the Leaves must have broken that pact. _What is your age? _he asked in a silent matter, already knowing that I could read minds. "Fourteen," I replied. _Cursed. That is two years before the nine-tailed fox attacked us. _

"Sir?" Veske asked, already lost.

"Leave us," the Hokage ordered. Veske hesitated but did as he was bid. "It seems I finally know why the nine-tailed fox attacked us," he assumed.

"It's doubtful that any nine-tailed fox would've attacked you because the Village Hidden in the Leaves refused to accept me in their ranks. My people abandoned me afterwards. They seemed more disappointed with me than angry at the village. Besides, we would have never allowed one of our own to be sealed within a child unless they were a rogue."

"How does one tell when a nine-tailed fox is a rogue?"

"Did he have long ears?"

"Yes."

"Then he was a rogue." The Hokage pondered this for a few minutes.

"Still, we broke the peace treaty with your people first."

"Yeah, but that was only the fault of some ill-informed jounin. I never actually won an audience with the Hokage the last time I came." He sighed inwardly.

"What are your demands?" he asked. I stepped back, not expecting that. _My demands?_ "You do have demands, don't you?" he said, noting my hesitance.

"Actually, I didn't expect to meet you so no, not really."

"Then why are you in my village?"

"Um… The Chuunin Exams. I came to watch the Chuunin Exams and try to sneak my way in." The Hokage saw through my lie but said nothing. I saw in his mind that there was no way I could possibly get into the Chuunin Exams but he was, surprisingly, willing to make me a ninja of his village after all. He'd want me tested but I could handle that. I was a strong kid with some extreme abilities. "I'd be honored to accept your offer," I said, almost to tears. This was my biggest dream. To just have one place to call home, one government to follow, one culture to learn. I loved it!

"I thought you might be," he muttered. "I'm sending you to one of my most gifted jounin to test your strength." I nodded in understanding. "Let Veske in." I did as I was bid and Veske came in prepared to fight. He hadn't anticipated that we might actually get along. "Take Nari to Kakashi," the Hokage ordered.

"Yes, sir," Veske agreed without question. He told me to follow him and we were off. Veske had a hard time out pacing me, though I could tell he was trying desperately. Because of our breakneck speed, we reached a large, black sundial within a matter of minutes. "Kakashi," Veske said, demanding the attention of a white haired ninja who was paying his respect to the strange sundial. I could see carvings on the pointer rock and realized it was a tombstone of sorts.

"Yes, Veske?" the ninja asked, sounding slightly irked.

"The Hokage wants you to test my strength," I interrupted. The ninja turned around and stared at me. He had a blue mask over the bottom of his face and his headband was covering up one eye. The ninja glanced at Veske to see if what I said was true. Veske nodded, albeit a little uncertainly.

"What's your name, child?" he asked.

"NariNinetails," I informed him with a low bow. I heard his inward exclamation. He knew about nine-tailed ninja too. Why hadn't I met _him_ thirteen years ago? "It's a pleasure to meet you KakashiHatake."

"As it is to meet you, NariNinetails. You can leave us now, Veske. I can handle this one." _Don't be so sure,_ I warned, despite the fact he couldn't hear me. Kakashi was extremely curious to who and what I was. He was pleased that the Third Hokage (for I discerned for Kakashi's mind that's who he was) had assigned the job of testing me to him. "Are you a fighter, NariNinetails?"

"Please, just Nari," I assured him, seeing in his mind that he feared offending me. Until he knew the max of my strength, he wasn't willing to pick a fight with a demon. "Yes, I am a fighter. And yes I know taijutsu," I muttered, anticipating his next question. Kakashi nodded, not knowing that I also had the ability to read his mind. This would be a short lived fight, I could already tell.

Kakashi attacked first, throwing five shuriken at me. I blocked them all with staff and even bounced one back towards him. That didn't even slow him. He came at me faster, attacking with great strength and speed but the match played out similar to the one I shared with Orochimaru. When it came to hand-to-hand combat, I was the ultimate winner. I knew of no one who could beat me in it.

"Alright, I'm convinced," Kakashi said coolly although he was doubled over, panting. "You know taijutsu. But what about chakra control? What can you do with that?" I cocked my head to the side. I knew chakra control was important for me but was it really so important to every other ninja. I shrugged and walked over to the nearest tree and then walked up the trunk without fear. I would've liked to show him that I could walk on air but I was still practicing that trick. I could only stand about an inch of the ground. It wasn't very impressive.

"Is this decent?" I asked as if I couldn't already hear his approval in the deep recesses of his mind.

"Can you walk on water?"

"Yes."

"Can you walk on air?" It was a joke and he expected the answer to be no. I jumped down to the ground.

"I'm not very good at it yet, but yes." This took Kakashi by surprise. He turned towards me, eye wide open.

"Show me," he demanded. I focused my chakra to the bottoms of my feet and then took a step into the air. Then another. I stood there, hovering an inch of the ground as the ninja gawked at me. "Can you go any higher?" I grimaced but tried to take another step up. It took me a full minute to feel that my foot was stable, then I tried to move the other. For a few seconds I was okay, but as I tried to station the second foot, I lost my balance and fell. _I've never seen… What else is she capable of?_ I heard him think.

"That's the best I got," I admitted.

"That's alright. You've already proven yourself beyond my greatest expectations. Onto the next jutsu; ninjutsu." I sighed inwardly. I had slept the night before and I hard barely broken a sweat fighting Kakashi. The reason why my taijutsu was so good was because I tried to rely on it. Even Orochimaru feared me using my ninjutsu when my teammates were around. Because of my excess chakra, I was just as likely to hurt/kill them as I was to hurt/kill the enemy. I tried to keep myself exhausted so that I didn't have so much chakra, but even I needed to sleep once in a while.

"If we're going to do that then we best get away from here." Kakashi raised an eyebrow in surprise but didn't argue. I led him deep into the forest and warned, "If you want me to perform an ninjutsu, it's best if you're a good distance away or have some way of shielding yourself. You'll soon understand why I work so hard to master chakra control." This really shocked Kakashi. _What is this girl talking about?_ the jounin wondered. "Anyway, what do you want me to show you?"

"Can you produce shadow clones?" _Shadow clones, huh? Does he expect me to be at a genin level? Of course, I can produce shadow clones. I can probably produce a hundred of the damned things without scratching the surface of my chakra reserves. _

"Remember you asked for it," I stated and then performed the shadow clone jutsu. The explosion was thankfully small for me having slept the night before. It only knocked over the trees in close vicinity of me, but Kakashi had been sent flying. He lay on the ground and I ordered one of my shadow clones to help him up. He accepted the hand and then looked around with a short gasp. There were at least two hundred clones around, some of them busy fixing the trees I had injured.

"You have a blessing and a curse," he muttered, noting that I didn't even look slightly tired, and that I wasn't injured in any way.

"Yeah… It makes life interesting; that's for sure."

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**Thanks for reading! Please review. Next one's a Gaara centered chapter. I promise.**


	5. You Honestly Don't Remember Me?

**OMG! A Gaara chapter. YAY! It's not much but there's more to come.**

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I trained with Kakashi for the rest of the day. It wasn't until the moon had risen over head that I was set loose upon the village. Even then, Kakashi told me to keep a low profile. He would report back to the Hokage about my skills but expected me to train with him tomorrow, no matter what the Hokage decided to do with me.

I was hungry and tired, but I was always hungry and I knew there wasn't a snowball's chance in Hell that I'd go to sleep tonight. Kakashi wanted me to train with his team tomorrow. I wasn't going to put them in danger simply because I couldn't deny my body its normal functions.

To distract myself, I searched for the scent of the blonde haired boy. I'd go to him before facing Gaara. I followed the scent to small apartment. I didn't bother knocking on the door. If he was asleep, I surely didn't want to wake him. Instead, I hopped around the building, hoping to find a window in which I might peer into the child's room. I found it, sure enough, and the boy was knocked out. He lay sprawled on his bed that lay adjacent to the window. I frowned. I had been hoping to meet the child but I guessed it would have to wait. Now it was time to find my sand companion.

Gaara was a lot harder to find than the blonde kid. It had been so long since I had spoken to Gaara that his scent seemed to elude me. In the end, I found him by sheer luck. He was sitting atop a roof, staring up at the half moon. I jumped from my rooftop to his, landing only a few feet behind him.

"What do you want?" his cold, monotone voice asked. I didn't reply, simply walked around him to look him in the eyes. I crossed my arms and peered down at the boy. He glared back up at me.

He truly had changed. I hadn't been able to get a clear look at him the first time we met, but Gaara had black rings around his eyes and his pale blue eyes had no pupils. His hair was blood red, although it was nigh impossible to determine that in the moon's light. He wore a gourd (which I assumed was full of sand) on his back and the teddy bear I remembered him having had disappeared. There was the kanji for love carved into his forehead but that might have been there the last time we talked. I didn't know for sure.

"Who are you?" Gaara demanded.

"You don't remember me?" I asked, incredulous. The possibility of this guy's existence had haunted me for the past six years of my life and he didn't even remember me. That was cruel and, for some reason, it actually came as a blow. I wasn't expecting that. Sure, he had run away from me, and that had hurt, but I didn't think I'd truly care about the boy's views of me.

"No," he replied curtly. I frowned and then shrugged.

"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter anyhow. It was a long time ago and I'm sure you had other things on your mind." I sat down next to Gaara as I had the time before. He glanced curiously at me. I couldn't read his mind and that annoyed me. I wanted to know what he was thinking. Was he lying about not remembering me?

"What are you doing?" he demanded. I glanced over, acting surprised.

"I'm just looking at the sky. I hope you don't mind."

"Shouldn't you be sleeping or something?" he growled.

"Shouldn't you?" I laughed back, already knowing he didn't sleep.

"I don't sleep."

"I can't imagine why," I said sarcastically. "Well, I do. But not tonight. It will be about three days before I sleep again, if I'm lucky. Things get ugly when I'm well rested."

"Who are you?" he asked again. I smirked. At least I had gotten him to be curious about me. Of course, he was curious. I wasn't afraid of him, obviously knew who and what he was, and tried not to sleep, something I'm sure he'd love to have one peaceful night of. I'd be concerned if he wasn't curious.

"It doesn't really matter who _I_ am, at the moment. Rather, it matters who _you_ are, err… who you've become. You're certainly a lot different than the last time we met. What happened to your teddy bear? What happened to that frightened little boy I knew?"

"Are you from Suna," he assumed, still trying to figure me out. He was probably frustrated that I was asking questions and not answering any of his. _Poor Gaara_, I thought with mild amusement.

"Nope!" I piped cheerfully." I've only been once. Kazekage doesn't really like the likes of me around. Of course, I'm sure you know that first hand, don't you? A sand ninja for that guy? That has to suck."

"You're a jinchuriki," he guessed.

"Ha! I wish I were a jinchuriki. Maybe then I'd have a semblance of control. No, I've got it much worse than that." Gaara cocked his head to the side, not understanding any of this conversation. I was trying to make it as obvious as possible to who I was, without outright saying it, but Gaara was clueless. "So you seriously don't remember me, huh?" Gaara shook his head. I didn't know why but that made me sad. "You were young and had a lot on your mind," I excused him.

I laid back on the roof, putting my hands behind my head. Gaara glanced at me once and then refocused on the moon. We stared at the sky in silence for a long time before I blurted, "Do people still try to assassinate you?"

"Rarely," he answered honestly.

"You ever figure out who was sending them?"

"The Kazekage."

"Figures," I muttered, puffing at my shaggy bangs. I needed to cut them again.

"Have we honestly met before?" he demanded. "Did you tell me your name?"

"Yes," I replied. I smiled in amusement as his face took on a deep look of concentration. He was doing his best to remember me but it just wasn't coming. "Don't give yourself an aneurism," I half laughed. "All you need to know is that I'll be watching you and that I'm not a threat. I'm just curious. Painfully curious. Perhaps even recklessly so. In fact, I'm so painfully and recklessly curious that I approached you tonight. I should've waited for the daytime, when I'm at less of a disadvantage if you did decide to attack. Although, if you're as strong as you were then, I'd be hard-pressed to escape with my life even in the daylight. Still, I don't think you'd attack me."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because I know who you are, Gaara. I knew you before the demon within managed to take control. Just accept who and what you are. Stop fighting yourself. You'll be at peace that way." With that, I got up and left before he could utter a syllable. If he remembered me now, I didn't want to know.

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**I'm sorry this chapter was so short but I promise, the next one will be extra long. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	6. Squad 7

**Please read and enjoy.**

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I landed on a small building with a soft thump. The sun had risen and I was supposed to be heading towards the training grounds to meet Kakashi, but there was something I wanted to do first. I crept towards the other side of the rooftop and peered down at the group of genin before me. Gaara was flocked on either side by a blonde girl and a boy dressed all in black. I reached out to the mind of the girl, trying to discern her relation to Gaara. Her name was Temari and the boy in black was Kankuro. They were Gaara's older siblings. That took me by surprise.

Kankuro said something stupid and I watched with mild amusement as Temari hurriedly covered his mouth and said, "He didn't mean that, Gaara. He's just fooling around, being an idiot." Gaara said nothing, as if he hadn't heard anything. _He's distracted this morning,_ Temari thought. "Is there something wrong, Gaara?" she asked instead. I could tell that she did have a slight concern for her younger brother, but mostly there was fear of him killing her and her other brother. As I read through her memories, I learned Gaara was more unstable than I had originally come to suspect. He needed help, and soon. Sadly, I knew I wasn't the one to give him that help.

"Someone's following us," he said with a sigh, looking over at me. I didn't bother trying to hide. I stood there on the rooftop, hands on my hip, staring down at them. I had told him I'd be watching. Temari and Kankuro immediately went into a defensive stance, ready to protect Gaara if need be. He had obviously become important to his village.

"Who are you?" Temari called up. "What do you want?" I smiled, shrugged, and flipped my midnight hair over my shoulders. My hair was probably too long for my own good but I normally tucked it behind my headband that still rested on my waist. Still, it was starting to get down to me knees. Not very good for a ninja who relied mostly on taijutsu to attack.

I looked towards the sun, hearing the arrival of Kakashi's squad at the training grounds thanks to my connection to Sasuke's mind. I'd stop listening in on him eventually, but minds I had already touched before were a lot easier to find. I left the sand shinobi without a single word and headed to where I was bid. I could still hear Temari's thoughts demanding an answer to my identity. She wouldn't be getting one any time soon.

I ran towards the training ground and retrieved my staff, which I had hidden in a tree before leaving Kakashi the night before. Then, I dropped from a tree, right in front of the three genin that made up Team 7. "Who are you?" the blonde boy asked with a crude look on his face. A pink haired girl studied me with an intense curiosity, and Sasuke simply glanced at me.

"My name is Nari…"

"And she's here to help you train," Kakashi finished for me, dropping in. He had a book in his hand and was reading it even as he spoke.

"How is a little twerp like her supposed to help us train?" the kid declared. I simply laughed, not offended in the least. I knew I didn't look like much. I was creepy looking, that was all. Especially since I had slits for pupils like an animal instead of the round ones of a human. I definitely didn't look like a ninja. I was too small and frail looking for that. In fact, I could hear the girl of the squad thinking I was probably the definition of the boogeyman. Even Kakashi found me unnerving.

"Of all the people here, you'd probably benefit the most from me helping you train," I told the jinchuriki.

"Yeah? How so?" he demanded, hands behind his head.

"I can't tell you all the reasons," I said simply as if it wasn't all the important. "But there are some obvious ones I'm sure even you're teammates can agree you have issues with. One, never underestimate your opponent. You'll die that way. Two, you want to study and learn the most you can about your enemies, not talk them up like an idiot and annoy them. And three, in a full fledged battle, a matter of life or death, I'm probably the only person here that can beat you. With that said, it's blatant that you can learn the most from my visit."

"Naruto, beat Sasuke or Kakashi-sensei," the girl laughed. "That's absurd." Kakashi, on the other hand, was thinking, _So she knows what Naruto is, does she? And of all of us here, she probably knows his capabilities best. If she thinks Naruto can beat me in a full fledged battle now, I'd hate to see what he could do with a bit of extra training._

"Finally!" Naruto exclaimed. "Somebody who believes in me! My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm going to be Hokage someday! Then everybody will believe in me and respect how great of a ninja I am, just like you do!"

"Naruto, if this girl thinks you can beat Kakashi or me, then she's an idiot. Having her believe in you is like being believed in by a monkey," Sasuke said simply. "I bet she couldn't even beat Sakura. She has no room to talk."

"Apparently you underestimate your enemies, too," I muttered.

"Or maybe you're the one who underestimates Kakashi and I," he retorted. A smirk lifted my lips.

"You'll learn," I said simply. "Or you'll die. It doesn't really matter to me either way. Just don't underestimate Itatchi when you finally face him," I warned, knowing full well that this was the only survivor of the Uchiha massacre and that he'd want to avenge his clan. "He's not going to spare you over and over again." Sasuke glared at me, his hands balling up into fists. _This girl,_ I heard him growl inwardly. _What does she know about Itatchi?_

"Alrighty then," Kakashi intervened. "Instead of arguing, why don't we all get to know each other before we fight?"

"Well, you've already met Naruto and obviously you know more about Sasuke than I do so I'll go first. My name is Sakura Haruno. I'm just an average kunoichi."

"As I said, I'm Nari and I'm here to help you train."

"But don't you want to tell us anything else?" Sakura added. "Like your likes and dislikes, and why you became a ninja."

"I became a ninja because I was born to be a ninja. I'm not particularly found of being used and I like…" _Bone marrow,_ my mind thought automatically. Truly, it had become a favorite food of mine but that would probably freak the genin out. "Challenges," I said instead.

"What's your favorite food," Naruto demanded. "I like ramen and…" _They're asking for it…_ I sighed inwardly.

"Remember, you asked," I warned. "Bone marrow. That is my favorite thing to eat." They all froze, slightly horrified. _I am what I am_, I defended myself silently. Kakashi was surprised although he chastised himself for not expecting it.

"You eat… bone marrow," Naruto concluded slowly. I nodded.

"Not human marrow, of course. But hogs' and mountain lions', they're decent."

"That's creepy…"

"You asked."

"But…Why? Why would you…?"

"It's in my nature," I answered, shrugging. Part of me was hoping he'd understand but I realized that the demon within him didn't seem to have as much of an influence over him as Gaara's had on Gaara. He was just as arrogant and confident as the majority of nine-tailed foxes but that might just be a coincidence.

"In your nature?" Sakura contributed. "Like your clan or something?"

"Eh… Sure. I guess you could put it like that. Not much of a clan though…"

"What do you mean," Sasuke added, finally jumping in. Kakashi was pretending to be reading but, in truth, he was observing our conversation with a deep interest. He wanted to know more about my personality. What exactly my presence in the village entailed.

"Well, I guess you could say I'm the last of my clan, too. In a way. It's complicated. There's a possibility that others exists or could come to exist but…"

"How can you be the last of the clan if more of your clan can come to exist? Other than the obvious."

"Like I said, it's complicated. Ever hear of a jinchuriki?"

"No," all three answered in unison.

"Oh. Then I don't really know how to explain it. You have to have at least a basic understanding of jinchuriki if there's any hope of you understanding what the hell I am."

"Then explain what a jinchuriki is," Sakura offered.

"We'd be here all day," Kakashi muttered. "All you need to know about Nari at this point is she's as close to a demon as it gets without meeting the real thing."

"That's not true," I snorted. Kakashi looked at me in surprise but I didn't elaborate. He must have thought that nine-tailed ninja were half-human, half-demon. The fool. That thinking might just get him killed if he wasn't careful.

_All this talk about demons and bone marrow,_ Sakura thought. _What if this girl actually is a demon? Is that even possibly? Can demons take human form?_ At least Sakura was smart enough to try and piece things together.

"Anyway," Kakashi said before anyone else could revive the conversation. "Let's train. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, you will battle Nari. Nari, please don't kill my squad." The three genin were taken aback, a little more hesitant now. "Just to give you three a guess of how strong Nari is, I'm going to temporarily classify her as an elite jounin. _An elite jounin? What is up with this kid_, Sasuke thought. "Meanwhile," I'm going to watch and tell each and every one of you what you're doing wrong. Even you, Nari." I shrugged. I didn't mind being criticized.

Squad 7 formed up with Naruto in lead, the two flocking him. Kakashi leapt out of the battle field to watch from the side. They attacked me head on, still underestimating my strength. I hit each of them with one quick blow to the gut with the butt of my staff. They flew back and hit the ground. "What the…" Naruto exclaimed.

"Remember, she's an elite jounin. Head on attacks aren't going to beat this ninja," their sensei sighed.

"Even a jounin can be over powered," Naruto declared, standing up and forming a hand sign. "Shadow clone jutsu!" he exclaimed. Fifty or so clones appeared.

"Naruto," Sakura scolded. "Kakashi-sensei said…"

"I don't care," he interrupted her, charging me again. I smiled and formed my own hand sign.

"Say hello to my secret jutsu," I muttered. Nine tails formed of tree roots popped out of the ground. Every time a clone tried to attack me, the tails simply hit them and made them disappear. _That's an interesting jutsu_, Kakashi averred.

_That defense appears to be impenetrable_, Sasuke thought to himself. _But there has to be some way around it. Of course, that'd be easier to do if I knew where they came from. If her chakra is what controls them, then it's going to be more difficult than I'd hoped. But if their just regular tree roots with a jutsu cast over them, I might be able to destroy them._ Sasuke charged next, throwing shuriken and kunai knives. The roots deflected the weapons. When nothing he did worked, they regrouped to try and devise a plan. For nearly an hour, they attempted to get around my defense to no avail.

"This is impossible," Sakura complained.

"Now, now, Sakura. Nothing is impossible," Kakashi denied, despite that he was about to deem the same thing. He couldn't see a way that his genin could attack me. That was sad. If they couldn't get around this simple defense, they were hopeless against Gaara. I hoped they didn't have to face him. "Here's some motivation," Kakashi threw a small bell at me. I let it get around the tree roots and caught it. "The first person to get that bell will get to go out to lunch with me buying. The other two will remain here and train with Nari."

"You're turning us against each other again," Sasuke stated in disbelief. Kakashi shrugged.

"Yes, but this time it isn't a trick. Whoever gets that bell doesn't need as much training as the other two. In fact, I doubt any of you will manage to get it." I grinned and tied it to my headband. Naruto sighed and glared at me.

"Well, if she'd come out of that thing and fight us then we could get it," he declared. I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"You asked for it," I warned him. Naruto gulped uncertainly as I let the tail defense drop away. As he went to perform the shadow clone jutsu for the umpteenth time, I mirrored him. He produce twenty, I produced 120. Sadly, I didn't manage to do it without incident. I cursed myself as six of the surrounding trees were grounded. Kakashi was just barely able to escape one's path. Squad 7 was thrown back several feet before they recuperated and saw what I had brought for them.

"You just had to say something," Sakura growled.

"So what? They're just shadow cloned and now there's 121 bells."

"Only one of which is real," Sasuke reminded him. Naruto just shrugged and came to attack. My shadow clones took care of his easily and beat him back. He was sent flying towards the others within seconds. Sasuke and Sakura sent out a duo-attack of shuriken and kunai knives, trying to eliminate some of the clones. The targeted clones simply used their staffs to deflect the attack.

"We're never going to get anywhere like this," Sakura pointed out.

"I know," Sasuke growled. He put his hands together and made the tiger seal. "Fire style: Fireball jutsu!" he roared. I couldn't react fast enough to protect all of my clones but I did manage to form an earth wall in between me and a dozen or so clones. Part of me itched to use my firestorm jutsu in retaliation but I bit back the yearning. I'd only kill the genin if I did that. Instead, I cast a genjutsu over them. I made it look as though I had completely disappeared. As they were trapped in the genjutsu, not realizing what it was, I attacked. I kicked Sasuke in the gut and punched Sakura. Then me and my clones melted into the woods. Just in time too, because they released the genjutsu.

"Is it a second genjutsu?" Sakura asked.

"No," Sasuke muttered. "She's hiding." Naruto was still incapacitated. He sure did give up easily. Silly boy. "Come out, you coward!"

"Coward?" I growled, marching out of the forest, my clones in tow. "I have been called many things in my life but no one has dared call me a coward. Who do you think you are, Sasuke Uchiha, to call me a coward? If anyone's a coward, it's you!" I yelled. Kakashi was there in a flash, grabbing my wrists before I could form all of the hand signs. "I wasn't going to kill him," I mumbled. "It'd only leave a small scar." I glared over at his left eye, which had now been revealed to me for the first time. It was oddly red, with strange markings around the pupil. I recognized it as the Sharingan.

"Hot tempered, aren't you?" Kakashi replied. I yanked my hands out of his grasp and crossed my arms over my chest in defiance.

"Bloodline trait," I excused myself. He laughed. In his mind I saw that he was guessing that was where Naruto got it from.

"What was that jutsu anyway," Sasuke dared to ask. "I've never seen those hand signs before."

"That's because I created the technique. I was going to send a burst of concentrated chakra at you. If it had hit its mark, it would've scissored over your body until you were a bloody pulp. It's not a pleasant process, but it wouldn't have killed you."

"Sounds like something you'd create," he spat as if he knew me. "What annoys you so much about being called a coward anyway?"

"You insolent boy. I've talked to every Kage known to existence, I've fought alongside and killed rogue ninja that were triple my size. I've killed mountain lions with my bare hands. I smart mouthed a member of the Akatsuki, not that I'd expect you to know who they are, and went on to punch him in the face for insulting me. I've looked demons straight in the eye without faltering. If there's anything I'm not, it's a coward. You can call me a traitor, a monster, a heartless fool. But don't you _ever_call me a coward. Is that perfectly understood?"

"I'm surprised you haven't gotten yourself killed yet," Kakashi and Sasuke said at the same time. I smirked.

"I'm not a fool either. _I_ don't go around upsetting people. People upset me. Besides, I've always given people the respect they deserve. I just don't like to be insulted." _The Akatsuki, hmm? _Kakashi wondered. _She probably just barely managed to escape with her life. Of course, they may be saving her for later. They're in search for power and she has a lot of it. Not wise to destroy the very thing you seek. _

_Yeah, well those freaks aren't going to be getting their hands on me_, I thought. I didn't know why I bothered to respond. It's not like he could hear me.

"Anyway," Kakashi muttered. "I think that's enough for today. You all worked hard and I wouldn't want anyone's temper going over the edge. Tell you what; I'll treat all of you to a meal for your hard work. Of course, I can't get you bone marrow, Nari." I laughed, my bad mood whisked away.

"I wouldn't dream of it. That'd just be weird." I walked over to Naruto and kicked his side until he stirred. Sakura and Sasuke were already waiting with their sensei. "Come on, kid. We're gonna go eat." Naruto groaned as he pushed himself up. The first thing he saw was the bell at my waist. He reached up and grabbed for it. I let him take it and he collapsed back down.

"I – I got it guys." I laughed again and looked him over.

"Seems I hit you a bit harder than I had meant to. Sorry about that." I reached out my hand and helped him up. He looked like he had gotten run over by a bull.

"And she thinks he can beat Kakashi," I heard Sakura mutter.

"Not a life or death situation," I remarked. Sakura looked back at me, surprised I had heard her. After Naruto was steady again, we walked back towards Konoha's center. We went to a small ramen bar and sat down. The others ordered but I refrained from doing so.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Naruto asked, looking at me. We were sitting next to each other. Kakashi was on his other side, and then there was Sakura and Sasuke.

"Probably not."

"Why not? Don't you like ramen?"

"Never had it before." Three genin jaws dropped. Sasuke recovered first, acting as if he didn't care although he was wondering what was wrong with me. Sakura was next, just because Sasuke didn't seem to care. Even Kakashi was slightly shocked. Apparently, I was doing a good job at keeping the jounin on his toes.

"What do you mean you've never had ramen before?! What kind of psychopath are you? It's the best food in the entire land!" Naruto went on and on with his little speech. Finally, I agreed to get a small bowl just to appease him. Naruto may have been a nine-tailed fox jinchuriki but he didn't really seem to be struggling with the beast. I wondered if he even knew Kyuubi was there.

When our food came, I looked down at the bowl with distaste. I had never been particularly fond of cooked meat to begin with and the strange, stringy food that made up the majority of the meal looked slimy and nasty. "Just try it," Naruto ushered me. I sighed and puffed at my bangs. "It's best when the noodles are still warm." _Noodles, huh? Is that what this stringy stuff is?_ I glanced down at the eating utensils and sighed. _Chopsticks… It had to be chopsticks. _

I picked up the sticks and tried to position them without any help. Naruto was already devouring his dinner while I continued to fidget with the tools. Growing up in the wild meant there wasn't a whole lot of time to spend on preparing proper meals. Usually, I just ate strips of cooked meat. I had actually never eaten anything other than meat before. No matter how hard they tried, no rogue could get any form of fruit or vegetable down my throat. Nine-tailed foxes ate animals, not plants.

"Are you having issues, Nari, or are you just playing with your food?" Sasuke mocked me. _Oh, forget this,_ I decided. I dropped the chopsticks and held the bowl up to my lips. I tipped it forward and let the warm, yellow liquid fill my mouth. It tasted strangely of pork and something else. Well, a lot of something elses. There were tastes I didn't even have a name for. Not just vegetables and noodles, but some other thing. Perhaps a spice of some sort?

"What _is_ this," I demanded. I got shot weird looks and some worried ones from the shopkeeper.

"It's ramen, Nari," Naruto explained.

"No, what's in it? What's this ramen made of?"

"Barbeque pork, carrots, onions, chives, and some other spices," the shopkeeper informed me softly, hoping that I wouldn't get angry with him. I glanced down at the bowl, my eye brows furrowing together.

"What is barbeque?" I asked.

"You've got to be kidding me," Naruto exclaimed.

"Have you ever eaten a proper meal before, Nari?" Kakashi asked me.

"Well, um… For me, yeah, but… No. Not really."

"Do you know what a noodle is?"

"It's the stringy stuff, right?" Kakashi nodded.

"What, were you raised in the forest?" Sasuke mocked again.

"The forest, the desert, in the snow. Never been in a city or village more than a night and never had coin to buy anything. I hunted my own food."

"Then where did you get your clothes from?" Sakura asked. "And your headband?" I glanced down at myself. I was in a skin tight, black shirt with netting for sleeves that ran all the way down my arms. I wore a loose, black skirt that was opened on either side. Beneath the skirt was a pair of super tight, black capris that stopped just below my knees. The bottom of my legs were covered in netting as well. My shoes were black sandals, much like Naruto's blue ones. My outfit was in decent condition for being a month old and it was obviously meant for nighttime camouflage.

"Well, the rogues dressed me. Couldn't very well have their student running around naked." _So she was serious about fighting alongside rogues,_ Kakashi realized. _She was probably raised by them. Passed from one rogue ninja to another. That's a horrible childhood._

"But they didn't feed you?" Naruto said.

"I could hunt at that point. Why would they waste money on what they could get for free? Besides, we didn't really go into villages." _I wonder why she never stayed with any of the rogue_, Sakura thought sadly. _Isn't that better than being alone?_ I sifted through her memories and pulled up the one when I told her I didn't like to be used. She nodded in understanding, not realizing that I had helped her.

Naruto was smart enough not to ask anymore questions and showed me how to use the chopsticks to eat. The ramen had a peculiar taste and it wasn't bad, but I still preferred raw meat. After dinner, as I was about to head off in search of Gaara, Sakura called out to me. "Do you have somewhere to sleep tonight?" she asked softly. I saw in her thoughts that she sympathized with me. Even Sasuke pitied me for what my childhood must have been.

"Well, actually…"

"You can stay at my house tonight. I know my mom won't mind and we have a spare room." I wanted to deny her, to explain that I didn't plan on sleeping but I didn't have the heart to. No one had ever gone to help me simply out of the kindness of their heart since my first sensei. I didn't count Gaara in the mix because I still didn't know his motives, or whether he had actually protected me during the night or if I had just gotten lucky.

"Um… That's very nice of you, Sakura. I – I guess I could. Just for tonight." She beamed at me and grabbed my free hand, towing me away. I had to hold my staff completely off the ground because of how fast she was going.

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**Isn't Sakura just so sweet? Thanks for reading and please review!**


	7. Difficult Explanations

**Sakura's home life is kind of a mystery to me so I did my best to make it realistic. I hope you enjoy!**

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Sakura's home was in the middle of the village and just a section off of another building. It wasn't an apartment though and she led me straight to the dinning room. "Mom, I brought a friend home. She needs a place to stay," Sakura called. A tall, thin, blonde woman came down the stairs. She looked me over kindly, until her eyes fell upon my headband.

"Sakura!" her mother exclaimed. "You brought a foreign ninja into our house?" Sakura was taken aback and glanced down at my headband. Her mother didn't mind taking in borders but she was concerned for her daughter's safety. She didn't recognize the symbol on my headband and that made me an even greater threat. I would never understand why humans were afraid of the unfamiliar. That's all I had known.

"Mom," Sakura complained. "Any idiot could tell that her headband is fake." Now it was my turn to be taken aback.

"My headband is no more fake than yours," I defended myself. Sakura looked at me with surprised eyes. "It's a symbol of…" I trailed off, not knowing how to explain it. "Of my clan, I guess. I mean, it's not really a village and…" It was like I was discovering how alone I truly was. All my life I had worn the headband as a symbol of my pride for what I was, but now I saw it as a symbol of my solitude. I glanced down at the familiar weight on my hips. "I guess you're right. It is a fake."

"I'm sorry, Nari. I didn't mean to offend you, but that's not from a real hidden village. I don't know what it symbolizes or who gave it to you, but it's not a true ninja headband. Sakura's mother stayed silent. She was studying my headband, and my eyes. The connection was clear to her but she tried to deny it. _If I didn't know better_, she thought. _I'd say she's somehow related to the nine-tailed fox demon. But that's not possible. Is it?_

"It doesn't matter, anyhow," I said cheerfully. "I'm a real ninja now. The Third Hokage said it himself. He's going to make me a ninja for the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Maybe when I'm given a team, I'll get a true headband too." _She has the same confidence as Naruto_, Sakura noted. _And she sure seemed to think a lot of him. I wonder…_ Before Sakura could finish her thought, her mother began to ask questions.

"So what's you full name, Nari?" the woman asked softly.

"It's just Nari, Mom," Sakura said.

"Now, that can't be," her mother protested. She turned towards me. "The way you talk about your headband representing your clan means you have to have a last name. All clans are families and all families are connected by last names."

"True," I muttered. "My clan is all connected by last names but not everyone who gives birth to a clan member, is necessarily part of the clan. Neither my mother nor my father, are a part of the clan. I'm the only living member, at the moment, and, as far as I know, the member before me may have only been related as like a super distant cousin or something. In fact, our bloodlines may have been connected so distantly that the relationship has been forgotten. Then again, for all I know, he was my uncle. Still, the last name is pretty obvious to those who look." I pointed at my headband with a shrug.

"It wouldn't happen to be Ninetails, would it?" I nodded my affirmation. _So she is, somehow, related to the nine-tailed fox. And the Third Hokage wants to make her a ninja? What is he thinking?_ I would've brought up to her a memory that gave her more confidence in her Hokage, but I really didn't see the point in trying. What did I care? Besides, it wasn't polite to dig through someone's memories, especially an adult's. There are some things that just can't be unseen. "Well, why don't you come sit down at the table, NariNinetails? Are you hungry?"

"We just ate, Mom. Kakashi-sensei treated us after a difficult day of training." Still, Sakura and I sat down. I sat cross-legged next to Sakura, my staff in my lap, and her mother gave each of us a glass of tea. I bit back my repulsion. I didn't like how everyone seemed so intent on forcing plants down my throat. I came from a carnivorous species. We didn't eat plants. This was unnatural.

"How did you train, today, Sakura?" the mother asked softly, sitting across from her daughter.

"Well, me, Sasuke, and Naruto had to fight against Nari. She had a really strong defense that we couldn't get around, no matter what we tried. And she beat us when it came to offensive combat, too. She even used a genjutsu. She's really strong. I've never seen anything like her." I blushed at the compliment.

"Nari, if you don't mind me asking, are you even considered a ninja, yet?"

"I was born a ninja," I informed Sakura's mother. She raised an eyebrow in hopes for a deeper explanation. "My clan is not all that closely related because not everyone is born to be a ninja, but we all carry the gene. Those of us who actually get to use the gene, are considered ninja from birth, although it's usually not discovered until we're a year old. Those who are lucky enough to be sent to a hidden village (we don't teach our own ninja), will be trained like other ninja. Those of us who aren't, will have to learn how to control our gifts on our own. It's not a choice for us. If we have the ability, we are ninja. We can't just live normal lives."

"Why ever not?" the woman asked. I sighed, a frown crossing my features.

"Because we have so much chakra," I answered. She and her daughter were still confused. "Ninja from my clan have extreme amounts of chakra. So much so, that it's pertinent we learn to control it. When we're young, the chakra will shoot out of bodies due to our emotions. When we're older, we can contain it. My level of chakra control is beyond what people consider mastering it. And I still have issues with it. Whenever I use a ninjutsu, excess chakra escapes in a fiery explosion, usually flattening, if not destroying, everything around me. I've killed my own friends on accident because of it. That's why we have no choice. If the chakra were to be allowed to build up," I shuddered. "It'd be a disaster."

"So that's why those trees fell when you performed the shadow clone jutsu," Sakura filled in. I nodded solemnly.

"It means I can last longer in a battle, and perform more chakra consuming jutsus at a younger age, but it's at a great cost. I've even hurt myself sometimes. A blessing and a curse, I suppose. But I believe that's true for all kekkei genkai." Sakura's mother nodded.

"I've never heard of a kekkei genkai that grants you extreme amounts of chakra." I frowned. That wasn't what my kekkei genkai was. My kekkei genkai was the ability to take human form. The massive amounts of chakra was just nature's doing. Of course, according to my scroll, nine-tailed ninja did have more chakra than a normal nine-tailed fox of the same age. _Still…_

"It's more complicated than that," I said simply. "But it's classified information. Even some of the most elite jounin are not told. It's dangerous knowledge to possess."

"I see," she muttered, but she didn't. Rarely anyone ever did. They just said that to look smarter than they were, to have time to think. Sakura's mother was currently mulling over what my presence in the village entailed. It seemed that her and Kakashi were a lot alike. Or, perhaps, it was a shinobi thing.

"Anyway, Mom, I'd like to show Nari to her room now," Sakura revealed, not thinking that this conversation would go any further.

"Of course," the woman agreed. Sakura motioned for me to follow her. I used my staff to pull me to my feet and complied. She led me upstairs and down a small hallway. On either side were doors and, at the very end of the hall, one stood ajar. Sakura took me to that one. The room was practically empty, asides from a bed and empty desk.

"Just wait here a moment," Sakura requested, leaving me alone. She returned a few moments later with extra sheets and a pillow. She made my bed for me as I stood uselessly, by the window.

"What is it like?" I asked to no one in particular as I stared at the cushiony mattress.

"What is what like?" Sakura asked.

"To sleep on a bed," I replied. She was surprised yet again but soon remembered that I hadn't spent more than a night in a village and that was rare.

"It's very comfortable. What do you normally sleep on?"

"A tree branch. The ground is too dangerous."

"Well, imagine a tree branch covered in the softest moss you've ever encountered." I did. "Now imagine something a lot softer, flat, and large enough to hold you're entire body with room to move. It is warm and the air is still. There are no bugs or animals to disturb you. That's what it's like to sleep on a bed." I opened my eyes slowly, liking that image.

"If what you say is true, I've been missing something very great. No wonder why people sleep on beds almost every night."

"Yup! It's a wonderful invention." All was silent for a while as I stared out the window at the sunset. Sakura was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching me. "Hey, Nari," she finally said. I had been expecting her to talk for awhile by then.

"What is it, Sakura?" I asked, even though I already knew.

"Why did you agree to become a leaf shinobi?"

"Because, long ago, my clan made a peace treaty with Konoha. This treaty stated that, in return for using our lands, the ninja of Konoha would train our young clan members. Before this treaty, the shinobi of Konoha and the shinobi of my clan waged great battles. It's a fateful thing that they didn't destroy each other entirely."

"Why doesn't your clan train its own ninja?" I frowned again._ How much should I tell her_? I wondered.

"Remember how I said that I have a lot of chakra?"

"Yes."

"Well, because of this gigantic amount of chakra, I actually have a permanent cloud of chakra outside of my body. All ninjas of my clan do, although only a dojutsu could see it. When two ninjas from my clan are together, these chakra clouds expand and try to steal the chakra from the other ninja. This results in a giant chakra battle that, usually, leads to both ninja's deaths. If one ninja were to survive, on the other hand, they'd have absorbed the chakra of the other ninja. Then they'd have double the amount of chakra they should have, in a body that already contains too much chakra. They'd go insane, ultimately leading a bloody rampage and destroying everything in their path. The poor ninja would eventually die of a chakra explosion. That's why we do not train our own ninja." Sakura's jaw was hanging on a hinge.

"Of course, you need not worry about that with me. I'm the only ninja of my clan in existence. There's no way that could happen."

"Could – Could you still die of a chakra explosion?"

"Well, yes. I suppose it's possible but I take careful measures to avoid that. One day, I hope to create a seal that will eat away at some of my chakra so I won't have to deal with it."

"What kinds of measures do you take?"

"I don't sleep every night and I do a lot of excess training to try and tire myself. If I lose chakra and can't rest to restore it, it stays gone. It's difficult though. Sometimes I use too much chakra and then get in a battle. I'm very good with taijutsu though so I usually manage to defeat my opponent."

"You said you accidentally killed your own friends because of this excess chakra. What was that like?"

"Correction: I only killed one friend. I've only ever had one friend. And it was miserable. I still see his face in my dreams. I hate myself every day for what I did. All he was doing was trying to ensure my safety and well being, and I killed him. I revisit the sight of his death every year. The area is still a barren landscape. When I was first there, it was full of trees and life. I wiped all of that away." I glared down at my feet. My stupid feet that I used to show off my chakra control. Why couldn't I have had that kind of control then?

"I'm sorry," Sakura said. "I truly am. No one should have to go through that." I nodded in agreement. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

"Anyway, it's getting late. You should be going to sleep, Sakura."

"Oh, right," she mumbled before stalking out. I had truly depressed her. I felt slightly bad for sending her away but I needed to do something before I tried sleeping in the bed. I leaned my staff against the desk and pushed open the window.

"I'll be back," I reassured no one in particular as I crawled out of the home.

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**So what did you think? I know it was short and it's more of a filler chapter than anything but the next one will be up really soon.**


	8. Midnight Battle

**Hmm... I wonder who's going to show up.**

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Despite my desperate wish to seek out Gaara and see what he was up to, maybe even try to enter his mind again, I headed towards the training grounds. I fully intended to sleep in that bed tonight, but I couldn't do that without a guilty conscious if I still had so much bottled-up energy.

The first thing I did, once I reached my destination, was produce fifty shadow clones. They looked at me with smirks, knowing what I planned to do. Without a sound, we all attacked. But there was a catch. Every time a clone went down, I produced two more. This way, I exhausted myself without using too much chakra at once that might cause an explosion. Sadly, I quickly grew bored with this strategy. It wasn't challenging enough. The clones disappeared too easily.

I sighed and crossed my arms. What else could I do? I could try practicing more advanced ninjutsu, but did I really feel like doing that? If I did, I'd damage the grounds. Of course, they were just training grounds. It wasn't like there was anything irreplaceable here. I stretched my arms over my head and drew chakra to my palms and the soles of my feet. I focused the chakra there before I formed a complex set of hand signs. "Blast style: firestorm jutsu!" I ordered.

The jutsu worked, and the damage to the training grounds was massive. I had never thought that the jutsu wouldn't work; I just hadn't imagined that my chakra control would be so effective. Instead of flattening the area, I just blew a hole in the ground. _More like a crater_, I corrected myself, staring around me. I simply smiled. That gave me the opportunity to try a different jutsu.

Focusing my chakra only to the palms of my hands, I placed them in the center of the crater. Then, I tried to infuse my chakra with the earth, to loosen it and make it rise. It was a difficult trick and took a good half hour to do, but I succeeded. By the time I was done, the only evidence that the crater had ever existed was the lack of grass on the rock. I didn't know any jutsu to grow new grass.

Next, I went on to a different jutsu. It was a hidden technique I was developing. My idea was to be able to summon my chakra from my body to produce a clone of myself, but in nine-tailed fox form. The difference between this clone and a shadow clone under the transformation jutsu, would be that it could take multiple attacks. It'd be more like having a companion than a clone, since I also wanted it to be able to think for itself.

I sat cross-legged on the ground, focusing my chakra again. I made a new set of hand signs and whispered ever so softly, just in case there was someone spying on me, "Nine-tailed replication jutsu." A tiny, rather useless looking nine-tailed fox appeared. It lay on the ground, paws over its eyes. I sighed and released the jutsu before performing it again. It took me five tries before I produced a replication that could stand and walk around, but it acted just like a shadow clone.

Suddenly, I heard a twig snap in the distance. "So there _is_ a spy," I growled, shooting a bolt of chakra at the sound. There was a loud _thwack_ as it hit its mark. I prayed silently that I hadn't hit anyone of importance. Of course, my guess was that I hit either Gaara or Naruto since I hadn't heard their thoughts approaching.

"You missed," a cold voice stated as a shadow emerged from the forest. Gaara stood before me, arms crossed.

"More likely that your sand blocked it," I countered. He cocked his head to the side but nodded. "What do you want?" I asked as I redirected my attentions to my technique. My clone disappeared and then a new one appeared as I tried again.

"What are you?" he asked as my nine-tailed fox self circled him with a bit of curiosity. It was still acting as a clone though, not of its own free will. I used it to sniff him, so that I might be familiarized with his sent again. He stuck his hand out and put it atop the clone's head hesitantly. The clone was small, only reaching up to his knees. I growled inwardly. I could do better than that, even if it was still a regular clone.

"I told you that doesn't matter," I replied as I tried again. This time the creature was bigger, but useless again. I puffed at my bangs. Would I ever get it right?_ At least my chakra is draining_, I thought optimistically. If I kept at it, it'd only be an hour before I could go back to Sakura's and sleep.

"Is this a summoning jutsu?" he demanded, hoping to get at least one straight answer from me.

"If I tell you, will you answer a question for me?" He considered it for a moment before nodding. "No, it's my own, special technique." I let the useless clone go and summoned a new one. This one could walk around and was as tall as Gaara, but it was missing three tails. _Well, that's not going to work._ "What demon do you possess?"

"Shukaku of the sand," he answered without a hint of emotion. I nodded and tried again. The clone was perfect. Right height, right amount of tails, and could move around. But, of course, it couldn't be that easy. Before she could move more than a step, a sand bolt shot right through her. I turned around and glared at Gaara.

"What was that for?" I demanded with a hiss.

"I want to fight you." I froze. _What?_

"Why?" I asked a little softer.

"Because you're not afraid of me and I want to teach you why you should be." _Well, this sucks. But I don't think I have much of a choice. It's either fight or be killed._

"You asked," I muttered, standing up. He narrowed his eyes. Before he could make one move, I performed my nine tails jutsu as a defense.

"That's not going to stop me," he warned, but I saw the recognition of the jutsu in his eyes. "NariNinetails," he finished with a hiss. So his memory hadn't failed him after all. Gaara made a hand sign and bolts of sand flew at me. The tails did their job and blocked them, at the expense of their destruction. The tree roots were blasted apart, something I had never seen before. I growled on the inside. I didn't want to kill Gaara but I knew he was more than capable of killing me if I held back. I skipped over the idea of using taijutsu; his sand was too fast.

"Blast style: firestorm jutsu!" I ordered. I was tired enough already that my chakra didn't explode with the release of the jutsu, for once to my disappointment. I knew I wouldn't touch Gaara with that attack. In fact, I found myself staring at a wall of sand instead of the boy. I sighed in frustration. _What can get around his defense?_

"Multi-shadow clone jutsu!" I said next. I only produced a hundred or so, and we were all weaponless. _Great day to leave the staff somewhere, Nari_, I scolded myself. I sent them to attack as a unit while I disappeared into the woods. I didn't know what he would do to defeat the clones but I was sure I didn't want to be with them when I found out. And I was glad for that decision. He crushed them, each and every one of them. _How did he know none of those were me? Did he know?_

"Come out, come out, NariNinetails," he called. "Or are you too much of a coward?" My ego took a hard blow but I didn't emerge. I knew my limits. Sasuke was an easy target, Gaara was not.

"Please work, please work, please work. Please work!" I whispered as I tried the nine-tailed replication jutsu again. A little beast popped up, about the size of a small wolf. I was disappointed for half a second, until I realized it was staring at me with intelligent eyes, independent eyes. I reached into its mind. It had my memories, my way of thinking, but its own thoughts. "It…Worked!"

_I'll distract him, you attack,_ it ordered me. I nodded a comply and started sneaking around the edge of the training grounds. The clone ran out and growled at him. Gaara glared at it, confusion in his eyes. He shot a sand bolt at its heart. She just barely managed to move out of its path, but it scraped her hip. She didn't disappear. "So you can use a transformation jutsu and hold it," he assumed. _Not quite_, her and I thought simultaneously. It took all my self-control not to fist pump the air.

_Now!_ she ordered as she charged. I attacked from behind with a massive amount of chakra built up around my hand. My fist collided with a hard wall of sand and I heard my clone's whine of pain as she hit the opposite side of the shell. He was completely surrounded by sand, in a small ball again. I pulled my hand back, shocked that I hadn't even cracked the wall.

Before I could retreat, the sand snuck out and grabbed me. I struggled with it, trying to escape the incredible grip. No matter what I tried, I couldn't go anywhere. I was slung around and hit the ground hard at Gaara's feet. My clone did too. The sand crawled up around our bodies. The more I struggled, the tighter it encased me. There was no escape. I looked up at Gaara instead. His two hands were open, directed at us.

"I wonder who the real one is," he muttered. He closed his right fist and a piercing scream rang out in the night as my clone disappeared. I felt a stabbing sensation in my head. Apparently, that was a slightly more dangerous jutsu than I had anticipated. "So you're the real one," he sighed, glaring down at me. "I was hoping you'd be stronger." I gulped but didn't allow the fear to show in my eyes. I simply stared up at him, wondering when he was going to crush me. To my surprise, the sand began to recede. When it was gone, he gave me one final glare and turned around to leave.

"Why?" I called as I stood up, dusting myself off. He paused. "Why not kill me when you had the chance? I'll find a way around your defenses. I will. The next time we battle, it'll be you at my mercy."

"Because you weren't afraid. You were never afraid of me." With that, he disappeared. I sighed and smiled, bending over to catch my breath. My head was pounding from my clone's death and I was exhausted. I left the training ground and headed back to Sakura's house. I crawled in through the same window and closed it before collapsing on the bed. It was exactly as Sakura had described it, and, before long, I was fast asleep.

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**Thank goodness Nari knows how to hide her fear, right? Well, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Please review!**


	9. Always with a Jinchuriki

**I don't normally do this because this is a fan fiction website but here I go.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters there of. On the other hand, I do own my O.C.s and this story line is original. **

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"Good morning, Sakura," I said softly as I came down stairs. I had had a peaceful night, with strange dreams. I kept seeing Naruto and the nine-tailed fox he possessed. For some reason, I felt compelled to speak with Naruto, as if talking to him would make me closer to my own race.

"Good morning, Nari," she replied. She had already eaten breakfast and I declined wanting any. We walked out the door. "So what are your plans for today?"

"After training?" I asked sweetly, reminding her without outright saying it.

"You probably weren't paying attention but Kakashi said we weren't going to be training today." My mouth formed a small "o".

"Well, in that case, I think I'm going to explore." In truth, I wanted to find Naruto. While Gaara was interesting and all, Naruto was the one I should really be trying to figure out. After all, he was the second closest thing to a nine-tailed ninja.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she offered. I didn't want to hurt her feelings but I knew, with Sakura around, Naruto probably wouldn't pay any attention to me. She couldn't see it, but it was obvious how obsessed with her he was. No, I didn't want her tagging along at all.

"No, that's alright. No offense, but there's someone I have to meet up with and you can't be around. I enjoy your company, Sakura, and you're very nice to me, but I have to say no."

"Oh, okay. Well, I hope your day goes smoothly."

"Thanks, you too." I waved good-bye to Sakura as I headed in the opposite direction. I knew where Naruto lived but that didn't mean he'd be there. In fact, his scent hinted that he had already been around the town twice this morning. That was strange. I hadn't thought of him as an early-riser. That was, until, I found out where he was.

"I have to beat her. I have to prove I'm stronger than Sasuke." I peeked around a tree at Naruto. He was throwing shuriken at a tree.

"Good morning, Naruto," I called cheerily. He froze and turned to face me. "If you want to get past my defense, try a chakra based attack. Something blunt that goes fast. That way you don't just puncture the tree branches, but blast them to pieces."

"Why are you helping me?" he demanded.

"Because you fascinate me and I believe in you." He frowned slightly and then gave me a big grin.

"Good, because I'm going to be Hokage one day!"

"You already told me that," I muttered. His eyebrows furrowed.

"I don't understand you. I can't tell if you're mocking me or if you're speaking the truth." I laughed.

"I'm just telling the truth. Look, I've never really had a conversation with someone my own age. I'm used to people telling me to shut up and pay attention 'because…'"

"'I'm only going to say this once,'" he finished for me. "I always hated that."

"And they normally lied, saying it several times."

"Ha ha. Yeah. You have a point. They do, do that, don't they?" he muttered, rubbing the back of his head with a grin.

"So, anyway… You want to go on a walk with me?" I offered. He was shocked, a small blush flushing his cheeks. "We could get some ramen or something, if you want."

"Yeah! That'd be great!" Naruto ran over to me, both arms behind his head now as we walked. "Is there something you want to talk about, Nari?" _So many things. There are so, so many things I want to talk about, but we should start out simple. _

"Do you have any family?" I regretted asking the question as soon as it hit his ears. His smile disappeared and he looked down gloomily.

"No," he replied bluntly.

"I didn't think so. I was just making sure. Don't worry; I know what it's like. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You turned out surprisingly well without a family to look after you. Is that why you want to become Hokage? So that you feel like you have a family?" He stared at me as if I was crazy.

"I want to become Hokage so that everyone will look up to and respect me. That way no one ever ignores me again."

"You were ignored a lot as a child, weren't you?" He nodded. "Why?"

"I don't know. Someone once told me it's because I have a monster inside of me but I think he was lying. I mean, if I was a monster, I'd know by now. Right?" _Obviously not._

"Not necessarily," I muttered. So I wasn't going to get anywhere along that line of questioning. "But if you had a monster sealed inside of you, that doesn't make you a monster. You could still be a good person despite what your body contains. It's our hearts and actions that define us, not our heritage and struggles." He just shrugged again, not really caring about my wisdom.

"What do you really think of Sakura," I pried randomly. The blush that crossed his face was adorable. I almost busted out laughing. Apparently, I knew how to read that kind of emotion. That was good. I had actually feared I wouldn't be able to understand people at all if I didn't have the ability to read their minds. It wasn't like I had been raised with people with normal emotions. Most rogues were kind of cold.

"Oh, you know… She's beautiful, and smart, and…"

"Don't worry; I'm not going to tell her. Truly, how do you feel about her?"

"I really, really like Sakura but she's always obsessed with stupid Sasuke." He stuck his tongue out with the last name. "I don't see why girls are always swooning over him. He's not all that special."

"Yeah, he kind of is," I said truthfully. "But not in the way they think. They'll see his true colors one day. Trust me; guys like him…" Sasuke kind of reminded me of Orochimaru. They had that same one track mind but Sasuke was a little bit clearer in the head. He did have a better reason for wanting revenge. Still, the boy was a fool and he wasn't going to get any true satisfaction on the road he was traveling. Revenge never brought satisfaction. It only brought more pain.

"You sure seem to know a lot about people for being raised in the forest," Naruto pointed out.

"I have a gift for getting into people's heads." _Literally._

"Can you get into mine?"

"Yes." _But only metaphorically. _"You're face is easy to read."

"Great," he drawled sarcastically. Suddenly, we both froze. Walking our way was Gaara. He walked by without a glance but both Naruto and I stared after him. After he was a way off, Naruto bent over and whispered, "That guy is creepy."

"Slightly," I admitted with a peal of laughter. "But most would say the same about me." He glared at me.

"You're not as creepy as him."

"You don't know that," I warned. I liked Naruto. He was amusing to be around. Sakura didn't know what she was missing out on. The rest of the day, Naruto and I switched around from talking and walking, eating, and training. We didn't separate until late at night. He went to bed and I headed towards the Hokage heads he had showed me. I climbed the massive staircase before going to sit on top of one of the heads.

As I stared across the peaceful village, another form caught my eye. _Gaara_, I thought with a grin. He was approaching me. Chances were he had caught sight of me first. I wasn't sure I liked that but I wasn't going to say anything. It only took him a minute or so to reach me from the bottom of the staircase.

"Good evening," I called out as he walked up behind me.

"Is it?" he inquired.

"Sure it is. The moon is getting smaller, more stars are visible, and it's a peaceful night. Not a cloud in the sky. It doesn't get much better than that." He said nothing as he came to stand to my left.

"The Chuunin Exams are tomorrow," he finally stated.

"I know. I won't be able to participate, sadly. But I'll be watching. They're two people participating that I want to keep an eye on. You being one of them."

"The other?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. I'm telling you; that kid has something special about him. If you face him, I doubt you'll come out unchanged. Then again, it's hard to tell with you, Gaara. Still…"

"No one's going to change me," he said coolly.

"Oh, really?" I demanded, sticking my hand out and touching his arm without his sand springing out to protect him. "I think someone already has," I muttered. Inwardly, I was delighted with the ability to touch his skin, although I didn't know why. "How strange. I expected you to be cold." In actuality, he was very warm to the touch, almost as though he had a fever but I knew that wasn't so. I wondered if he had ever gotten sick.

"You're very warm too," he admitted almost shyly. Or, perhaps, that was just me. "Did you find a way around my defense yet?" he asked in his usual monotone.

"No," I growled, pulling my hand back. I glanced up at him and I could've sworn a smirk touched his lips. If it had, it disappeared just as quickly as it had come. Suddenly, without thoroughly thinking my actions through, I grabbed his hand and yanked him down beside me. Surprise crossed his features and he glowered at me, his sand escaping from its gourd and floating around.

"Sorry," I gasped instinctively. I turned away, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. _What the Hell are you thinking, Nari Ninetails? Do you want to die?_ To my utter joy, his sand receded and I smiled at him. Then, feeling that it'd be better if I had someone to argue with, I performed my nine-tailed replication jutsu. The fox that popped up was tiny but had a brain. It curled up on my lap and I stroked its back as we sat in silence.

"Was that fear, Nari Ninetails?" Gaara demanded.

"No," I laughed. "That was embarrassment. I have no idea what I was thinking." _No, you didn't_, my clone agreed. _And you're lucky you didn't pay the consequences for such a stupid action. _I agreed grudgingly. We were there for only an hour when someone new appeared.

"Gaara, what are you doing?" a deep voice demanded. We both turned around to spy at a sand ninja. Half of his face was covered with a cloth. I peered into his mind and discovered his name was Baki. As I kept searching, I discovered, to my disappointment, that the sand ninja were in with Orochimaru. That meant I might just have to face Gaara again in order to stop the attack on the Hidden Leaf Village. I wasn't looking forward to that but Konoha was now my home. The Hokage had been sincere in his intentions to make me a genin of the village.

"I'm watching the moon," Gaara replied without a hint of emotion, turning back to the sky. Baki glanced from Gaara to me.

"And who's this?"

"My stalker." I couldn't help myself. I erupted with laughter. He was right, of course. Technically, I _was_ stalking him but still.

"I guess I really am creepy," I mumbled to myself. Baki was taken aback. _Is she a fan of his somehow?_ he thought. Baki knew Gaara was a jinchuriki so I had no fear of revealing anything new about Gaara if I spoke up to explain myself. "I'm just curious about demon children, is all," I assured him slightly louder. "But I guess you could consider it stalking." Gaara frowned.

"Gaara, we had a meeting tonight. You were supposed to be there," Baki scolded him.

"I already know what I'm supposed to do," Gaara growled.

"You were supposed to be there," the jounin repeated unrelentingly.

"Yeah, Gaara. You were supposed to be there," I teased, nudging him with my elbow, despite my clone's warning. Gaara shot me the laser eyes. My clone whined and scurried up my arm, curling around my neck. _Next time you go to do something stupid, I'm going to choke you,_ it warned. I frowned but said nothing.

_How is this girl still alive_, Baki wondered, staring at me incredulously. _Does she know something about Gaara we don't? _"No, it's not that," I said, staring back at Baki, deciding to freak him out. "I can read minds, that's all. It gives me the advantage of knowing what I can and can't do."

_You can't read Gaara's mind,_ my clone reminded me. _And I thought we were going to keep that a secret._ As I watched Baki's eyes go wide, I laughed. "I'm just kidding," I lied. "Wish I could though. That'd be nice. Guess I somehow was reading yours though, huh? No. People are just predictable." Baki relaxed slightly but he still kept an eye on me. He wanted to know how I managed to sit next to Gaara without fear of being attacked. He wanted to know how I had survived this long. _Nice save_, the beast complimented me.

_Of course,_ I laughed inwardly. _That's not knowledge for undeserving ears. It's my best asset. _"What do you want," Gaara finally demanded when the jounin didn't leave. He sounded so bored. I felt bad for him, seeing that little boy again. The kid still didn't know how to live. Surprisingly, I did. I knew how to laugh. I knew that I had to keep high spirits if I wanted to get anywhere in my life. Depressing thoughts weren't going to get me anywhere. I had discovered that from others' minds easily. Maybe that was why. Because I had the ability to learn from others' mistakes before I made the same ones. Because I learned from experiences that weren't my own.

"Nothing," Baki finally replied. "Just don't miss another meeting again, or there will be consequences." Then he left.

"What kind of consequences can they spring on you?" Gaara didn't reply. And I never did find out, although I tried to get it out of him several times afterwards. Perhaps there weren't any. I would never know.

"Will you tell me something?" I started up again as dawn was soon approaching. Gaara paused for a second before giving a hesitant nod. "Did you actually know that none of those clones were me last night? Or did you just not care?"

"I saw you flee into the woods." I nodded.

"And with the nine-tailed fox clone? Was that just a guess?"

"I figured you probably hadn't mastered shape-shifting yet. Besides, I saw you produce those clones before the battle."

"Right, right. So you never intended to kill me yesterday?"

"That was exactly the point of the battle, to kill you." _Thanks…_, I sighed inwardly. "But even when you were trapped and as good as dead, you still weren't afraid. I want you to fear me when I kill you. Prey should be afraid of its predator." I shrugged.

"I guess you're never going to get to kill me, then, Gaara. I don't think I can find it in myself to fear you. That'd just be strange. You're just a kid. I'm the actual demon, remember?"

"You're a weak demon."

"Perhaps, but a demon nonetheless." We sat in silence as the sun rose. When it was fully revealed, Gaara stood and left without a word. I frowned slightly. I had enjoyed my day with the two jinchuriki. _All well_, I thought as I allowed my clone to disappear. I left the Hokage head and headed towards the center of the village. I couldn't get into the Chuunin Exams but that didn't mean I couldn't wait outside for the results.

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**Thanks for reading and please review. I greatly appreciate all of them.**


	10. Scrolls and Teammates

**Another Nari centered chapter. Sorry. :/**

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I leaned against the wall of the academy building, crossing my arms. The genins had already gone inside. I stood silently until someone approached me. I heard the familiar voice of Kakashi's mind as he exited the building. His thoughts were heavy with the fate of his team.

"They're going to be alright," I reassured him. "You have a strong team." Kakashi glanced up. "Well, you do."

"I hope so," he muttered. Then, "The Hokage wants to see you in his office. I think you've been assigned to a team."

"Thank you," I said. "I wish them good luck, my team and yours." Kakashi found that amusing. For some reason, he assumed I wouldn't be very good with a team. I could see his argument, though. If my chakra exploded with them close to me, they were doomed. _Ugh,_ _I just have to have this gift! _Still, it was useful. It meant that I rarely lost a battle. But now, I was coming face-to-face with more people that could beat me. It was almost scary.

I bounded off, heading towards the red dome that contained the Hokage. Slipping past the guards, refusing to sign in when the desk clerk called after me. I was excited. Today, I was considered a true ninja. I was going to be on a team. I wouldn't be all alone anymore. There'd be others, others who may or may not understand me, but at least they'd be there. I stopped at his door and knocked. "Come in," the old man called.

"You requested my presence?" I asked, stepping in.

"Ah, Nari," he sighed. "I did. Come, sit. This may take a while." I came forward but I didn't sit. I was bouncing on my feet. I had way too much energy to rest now. He didn't comment on it, seeing my excitement. "First off, I need to talk to you about your heritage. I have a set of scrolls that are your inheritance by birth." I cocked my head to the side, thinking about the scroll I kept tucked between my headband and my body. Why would the Hokage have a scroll like that?

"You mean, like, something about nine-tailed ninja?" He didn't need to answer that question; I could already hear his answer in his thoughts.

"Yes," he muttered, watching me carefully. He wanted to see my reaction. I took it upon myself to learn more about these scrolls. Searching through the Hokage's mind, doing my best to ignore separate information, I found the section of memory I wanted to evaluate. I was the young Hokage, sitting at my desk, puzzling over a set of scrolls. They had all been bound together with a thin rope. I slipped out the top scroll that read, "For the Hokage's Eyes Only."

The scroll was strange and, at first, didn't make much sense. It talked about tailed-beasts and the extinct Mayona clan, a family with mind reading abilities. It then went on to explain how this clan had encountered the nine-tailed demon fox. Most of it made no sense at all and I found it quite tiresome to read. Then, it began to talk about the history of the nine-tailed fox.

According to the scroll… I shook my head and snapped myself out of the memory. I could be there all day if I kept that up. All I needed to know was, at that moment, the third Hokage knew a lot more about nine-tailed foxes than I did.

"The other scrolls in that pile, are they for me?"

"So you searched my memory," he assumed. "Yes, they are for you." The old man stood and pulled a bundle of scrolls out, setting them on the desk. "I was told not to read them, they're not for my eyes, but I'm sure they'll answer your questions." I hesitantly took the scrolls, staring down at the titles. "History and Treaties", "Chakra Control", "Transformation", "Hidden Jutsus", "Important Information", and a smaller scroll labeled, "Mating". I blushed at that, wondering what the "Mating" scroll could possibly contain.

"These scrolls contain top secret information about your race. You should share them with no one and keep them safe. Here, I have a bag that you can carry them in." He handed over a small, tan bag, much like the ones I saw strapped to ninja's legs. I opened the bag, giving the Hokage a small thank you. It was divided in half. I imagined one side was meant for things like shuriken and kunai. I shoved my scrolls into the right side.

"I'm truly honored to receive such gifts." The old man gave me a soft smile.

"They are your birth right. It was simply my duty to see them safely to the next nine-tailed ninja, as I'm sure other Hokage will have to do in the future."

"Truthfully, I hope not. I hope I am the last of my kind." He did not find that surprising. He understood what my childhood must have been like.

"Alas, I have held you here long enough. Your team is waiting for you."

"Thank you, again, Lord Hokage, for making me a ninja of your land." He smiled softly as I bowed my head.

"They are waiting for you in the training area. You should not hold them any longer. Tokomo is not known for her patience." I bowed again and promptly disappeared. I stopped at Sakura's house, slipping into the guest bedroom. I traded my bag of scrolls for my staff and then went to the training grounds. A group of three was assembled there.

A woman with long, violet hair, whom I assumed was Tokomo, stood leaning against a tree. She had green eyes and was dressed in light blue dress with bandages wrapped around her legs. A girl with short, silver hair was also there. She had dark brown eyes and a soft pout marred her features. She was pretty but it was obvious by her tight-fitting clothing and her stance that she was vain. The final member of Team Tokomo was a tall boy. He had dark green hair and eyes to match. He wore the average clothing of a Konoha ninja. All three were waiting impatiently for my arrival.

I jumped out of the tree and landed directly in the middle of the group. The two children jumped back in surprise. "So you finally showed up," was the girl's snarky comment.

"Miu, you should respect your fellow ninja," our sensei scolded the girl lightly. The boy stood back in silence, studying me. He, at least, understood the need for evaluation of the enemy, or new comer as our situation entailed.

"I apologize for my tardiness. I was only just informed of our team's formation," I spoke up for myself. Miu's jaw dropped. _She just found out! That means she didn't go to the academy. How's that fair?_ I tried to hide the smirk from my lips. I was sure I'd easily outmatch the shallow genin. The boy, though. He worried me.

"Why don't we introduce ourselves," Tokomo said softly. "Sit down, you three."

"Yes, Tokomo-sensei," the other two replied, sitting. I said nothing and only stood in between them. I didn't think I could sit if I tried. Even as I stood I tapped my foot to try in burn some of my energy. I didn't know where I got it from.

"You don't listen very well," our sensei gathered.

"I have too much energy to sit right now. I'm sorry." She sighed but nodded. _A hyperactive one, _she thought grudgingly. _Lord Hokage said it'd be difficult to take control over her but I was hoping that would be more of an attitude issue. You can fix an attitude._ I wanted to warn her that she might face that issue too but I kept my mouth shut. My gift, my secret. It wasn't on a need-to-know basis yet.

"Well, I'm Tokomo Sarutobi. I enjoy midnight walks, and dislike pranks. One day, I hope to be an elder that helps to advise the Hokage." We all nodded. She pointed to Miu to go to next.

"I'm Miu Shimura. I like ponds and I dislike people who think they are better than me," she gave me a pointed glare. "I want to become a well-known kunoichi admired for her strength and beauty." _I was right. She's as shallow as a pond,_ I thought to myself. I was trying hard to stay out of everyone's heads and, so far, it was working. But then Tokomo turned the center of attention to me.

"My name is Nari Ninetails." I paused and realized none of them knew the significance of that last name. "I like challenges and dislike being used. If I had to think of a dream, I'd say it was to prove to Konoha that I am an ally." _So, she's an outsider_, both my sensei and the unnamed boy thought. Miu was too busy being irritated by the attention I was being given.

"I am Takeo Fuma. I enjoy birds and dislike traitors. I simply wish to be a reliable ninja." I nodded, liking that answer. He would do well.

"Well, according to Lord Hokage, all three of you have a permanent spot as genin." _Which I find irritating. You should be tested to see how well you cooperate as a team._ "Therefore, in order to test your abilities as ninja, I'm going to give you a series of tasks. Your first task is to uproot a tree." She got off of the tree behind her and pointed to it. "But you can't touch it." I smirked.

"Don't worry," I told my teammates. "I can do this one myself. Just back up a little. I don't want to hurt you in the process." Miu and Takeo frowned but did as I wished. I stepped very close to the tree. _I have enough energy at this point that just about any jutsu I use will be explosive. Still, let's try one that should knock the tree down even if I don't explode. _I performed a series of hand signs I had learned from the only rogue I had met from the Land of Wind and said, "Wind element: great wind blast jutsu!" As I had suspected, my chakra exploded, and my original jutsu knocked over several trees by itself. The forest in front of me was pretty much flattened. I heard thoughts of exclamations from behind me.

"Where did you learn that jutsu?" Miu demanded, deciding I wasn't so bad after all. I smiled confidently.

"I've had a lot of sensei in the past. One of them specialized in wind techniques." Tokomo was amazed. After discovering the extent of all of her student's jutsu, she moved on to more primal things, like throwing kunai and chakra control. We trained together for over a month, perfecting all of our techniques. I learned how to use normal ninja weapons but I still carried around my staff.

I also became increasingly closer to my teammates. Despite first impressions, I liked Miu and Takeo was a good listener. I was very pleased with my team.

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**The next one is more interesting. I promise. Not Gaara-centered, but interesting...**


	11. Konoha Under Attack

**Thank you so much for all the reviews. So this one is, technically, another filler but it has a major plot event. **

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"Tokomo-sensei," Miu called as we saw her approaching.

"Yes?" the woman asked.

"Do you think we can watch the Chuunin Exams today? We're always on missions. Isn't one day a good break? Just one." I stood behind Miu, nodding in agreement. Takeo nodded as well, wanting to compare himself to the potential chuunin.

"Well, alright. I'm curious myself to how things will turn out. Come on. Let's make sure we get good seats." Miu and I raced all the way there, leaving our teammates behind. That's how things were for me and her. We loved the competition we posed for the other. Miu was a social butterfly and could charm her way out of any situation. She was also a magnificent genjutsu user. My genjutsu needed work. But I was faster than Miu and my taijutsu and ninjutsu far outmatched hers. Not to mention my capability to discover people's true intentions.

"Do you know who's fighting?" Miu asked. I was one of the best sources of information she knew of.

"Naruto Uzumaki VS Neji Hyuuga, Sasuke Uchiha VS Gaara, Shino Aburame VS Kankuro, and Temari VS Shikamaru Nara."

"Wow! There's a leaf ninja in every round. Who are the other three ninja?"

"They're sand ninja."

"Are they any good?" I frowned, seeing in her thoughts that she had already decided who the winners would be.

"Actually, as far as I know, all three of them are elite ninja in their village. In fact, I fear for Sasuke Uchiha's life. Gaara has a bit of a bad side…" _That has to be one of the biggest understatements I've ever muttered. _

"Yeah, well, I think you're underestimating Sasuke. He's super powerful and he's a part of the Uchiha clan." I knew Miu was a fan but I would've never guessed she'd go around my opinion. "So, who do you think will win? I think it'll be Neji, Sasuke, Shino, and Shikamaru."

"There's no doubt in my mind that Naruto will beat Neji. He's a lot stronger than everyone thinks. As I said, Gaara is more than capable of winning. I don't know Shino or Kankuro well enough to decided who'll win that match but I'd put my money on Kankuro and Shikamaru is too lazy to actually win. I think Temari has it in the bag."

"Seriously, Nari? You picked everyone I didn't." I shrugged. We were almost to the arena now.

"That's what makes it fun, remember?" She sighed and we both skidded to a halt in front of the entrance to the arena. "Come on, let's make sure we get Takeo and Tokomo-sensei good seats." She nodded in agreement and we rushed in. Our seats ended up being the closest to the spot where the genin in the matches stayed and right in front. Takeo and Tokomo joined us shortly after our arrival.

"Sit down, Nari," Tokomo muttered. I was leaning over the railing, staring down at the genin who had already arrived. Naruto and Sasuke weren't there but I was sure Naruto would make it.

"But, Tokomo-sensei," I complained. "I'm trying to analyze the competitors." In truth, I was discerning the bundle of information trapped in Kankuro's head about the invasion. Gaara was the sand ninja's trump card but I had a feeling things weren't going to go according to plan. Gaara already looked unusually agitated. I hadn't been able to see much of him since I had been assigned to my team but I could tell there was something wrong. I tore my gaze from the genin and looked towards the supposed Kazekage. It wasn't him. Peering into his mind, I discovered it was Orochimaru in disguise. _So today is the day… _

"Nari, you're in everyone's way." I sighed and finally went back to my seat next to Miu. I was on the edge of the row so I didn't have anyone on my left. Just as I sat down, Naruto came running into the arena. I smirked a little but didn't say anything about it. Miu, on the other hand, was pointing out to me how incompetent of a ninja he was. I just shook my head in defiance.

"I'm telling you; Neji's going to win," she argued confidently. I puffed at my freshly trimmed bangs(thanks to Sakura's mother, who had agree to house me until I could afford an apartment of my own). My hair was pulled up into a ponytail and my pouch of scrolls and shuriken(that I could only throw semi-decently) sat on my hip. My staff was leaning against my chair. I fiddled with the brand new leaf village headband I had on my forehead. The one with nine tails engraved in it was still around my waist.

It wasn't long after that the first round began. It was an exciting fight, much more than anyone had expected. I sat back smugly as Naruto was announced the winner. Next should've been Gaara VS Sasuke but Sasuke still hadn't arrived so they had to post-pone the match. I was hoping to see Kankuro fight but he forfeit.

_This isn't good_, I thought carefully. "Pfft, I told you Shino would win," Miu laughed. "Your guy, Kankuro, didn't even have the guts to face him." _That's because his match doesn't coexist with their invasion plan_, I wanted to tell her but I bit my tongue. I didn't worry about telling any jounin about the invasion. Most already knew.

Next was Shikamaru against Temari. That match was slow paced, but interesting for those who could see what was going on in Shikamaru's head. Had he had a team, he would've won, but he was forced to give up the match due to lack of chakra. That was disappointing but I smiled when Miu threw a fit over it.

Finally, Gaara's match had arrived. This was the one I was looking forward to. I wanted to see how much the jinchuriki had advanced and when Sasuke finally showed up, I wasn't disappointed. Of course, Sasuke impressed me as well. When his chidori penetrated Gaara's shell, I just about launched myself into the field. It took all of my self-control not to jump in. His cry of blood, though, had all the sand ninja and myself on their feet. It was amazing!

"Nari, sit down," Tokomo warned. I did so hesitantly. She realized then that I had a personal connection the genin. _That's not going to be good if she has to fight him._ It was around that moment that the genjutsu was cast. All four of us, having Miu on our team, released the jutsu. We were the only people in our section that were awake. The next section, across the aisle from me, had a few ninja who had released it.

"What's going on?" Miu demanded worriedly.

"We're under attack," I answered, watching smoke erupt from the Hokage's sitting area. Temari and Kankuro jumped down and grabbed Gaara before hauling him off to who-knows-where. Sasuke followed him.

"What do we do, Tokomo-sensei?" Takeo asked.

"I want you three to follow those sand genin, anywhere else you'd just be in the way. Meanwhile, I'm going to stay here and help Kakashi and Guy." We nodded. "Nari, you're in charge. If it seems like a hopeless battle, I want you to retreat. Don't get yourselves killed over those three. If I wanted that, I'd send you to the walls."

"Yes, Sensei," I said, then we took off. I didn't need any help tracking Gaara. With his blood in the air, it'd be all too easy for me to find him. "Listen," I ordered. "These aren't regular genin. If we get into one-on-one fights with these guys, we're all as good as dead. Instead, we're going to try to single them out and fight as a team. Got it?"

"But we'll lose them like that," Miu protested.

"No, we won't. Trust me." She continued to argue in her head but she said nothing. Takeo didn't like the sound of it but trusted Tokomo's judgment to put me in charge. We were close on their tail when, suddenly, we were surrounded by sound ninja. I cursed under my breath, not having seen them. I wished silently that I hadn't slept the night before. There were too many to fight with taijutsu alone and my ninjutsu was unstable, at the moment.

"We're surrounded, Nari. What do we do?" Takeo whispered as we came to a halt. I looked at our surroundings. Yes, they were everywhere, a total of sixty, but we were in dense forest. If I made a distraction, Takeo and Miu could escape, leaving me to use my ninjutsu without fear of harming my own teammates.

"I'm going to attack the head and I want you two to slip out of their perimeter," I whispered back.

"What?" Miu exclaimed as silently as possible. "We can't catch up to the sand ninja without you. You know that!"

"Listen to me, Miu. I'm going to use a ninjutsu that should wipe all of them out. The thing is, if you two are in twenty-five-yards of me when I release it, you're as good as dead too. That's why you need to slip out. Go fifty yards just to be safe, and wait for me. I'll seek you out when I' m done with these guys." Grudgingly, they both agreed. I looked around and found the head. Then, I led a full attack. It worked and I smiled as the others slipped away.

"Your teammates abandoned you," the head ninja said, smiling as we jumped away from each other. I smirked and began a series of complicated hand signs.

"No, don't let her do that!" one ninja exclaimed, jumping out. I looked Hasna in the eye, saddened by his inevitable death, and released the jutsu. The explosion from my chakra was instantaneous. I let out a sharp gasp of pain as my arms seemed to explode with it. I dropped to my knees, a loud ringing in my ears.

It took me a few minutes to regain my bearings and look around. The forest was flattened, my enemies slowly crumpling to ash. I tried to push myself to my feet but yelped when pure agony seared up my arms. I looked down at the useless limbs. They were bleeding profusely, the skin in tatters. I hesitantly got up without their assistance and looked around. My mind searched for Miu's but recoiled by what if found.

"No. No! They should've been far enough away!" I screamed, running towards where the fragments of memories were pouring out. Miu lay on the ground, next to Takeo. They were both gasping for air, their skin blackened from burns. Miu didn't even have eyelids anymore, her hair completely singed off. "Miu," I cried, falling on my knees again. "Miu, what have I done?" Tears slipped down my cheeks.

"N-Nari…," she breathed. "Where did," she coughed, blood spurting from her mouth, "did you learn that jutsu?"

"My very first sensei," I answered, the tears streaming down my cheeks now. I was having a hard time controlling my breathing. She turned her head over and stared at my arms.

"You… need… doctor," she mumbled, letting out her last breathe.

"No, Miu!" I shouted, as if that could bring her back. I turned around and looked at Takeo. His breathing was shallow but stable. He might make it. "I'll bring you help, Takeo," I promised, knowing there was no way I could take him to it.

"No, Nari," he muttered. "You have a mission to complete. Don't blame our deaths on yourself. We should've gone farther."

"But, Takeo, I can…"

"I can't feel my body, Nari. You can't save me. I'm already dead. Just go and find the sand ninja. Make sure they don't do anything dangerous." I nodded, the tears still flowing. I couldn't hold them back. It hurt too much to see my teammates die. I stood again, ignoring the blood dripping from my arms. I had a mission to complete. I'd complete that mission if it was the last thing I did. I couldn't let Miu and Takeo die in vain. "Goodbye, Nari," he said as I jumped away.

"Goodbye," I whispered to myself. My explosion slowed me down. I could barely walk, let alone run. If I was going to catch up to Gaara, he'd have to stop moving. Still, despite my hopelessness, I followed his scent. It felt like it took forever to reach him, and when I did, he was laying on the ground. Naruto was crawling towards him, preaching about one thing or another.

"Naruto, that's enough," Sasuke interrupted, landing by his friend. I leaned against a tree, watching the exchange but staying out of site. Sasuke had obvious signs of the curse mark spreading across his skin but he didn't seem to be a threat. Soon enough, Temari and Kankuro appeared. They were ready to attack but Gaara called them off and the three disappeared. I just didn't have it in me to follow them any farther and by the looks of Gaara, I doubted he would cause any more damage. I let my legs collapse underneath of me and fell, the pain wearing me out. Before long, the shadows of unconsciousness consumed me.

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**Short, sweet, and hopefully not too boring. The next one is Gaara-centered! Thanks for reading and please review.**


	12. Doing My Best

**Gaara's around this time. Yay!**

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I opened my eyes slowly, my head pounding. Bright lights only made the headache worse. My throat was dry and my entire body was sore. I glanced around me. I was lying in a hospital bed, a light sheet cast over my body. I felt hot and uncomfortable so I shimmied the sheet off. I felt another person's presence in the room. Whoever it was wasn't thinking about me though, so I pushed them away. It was probably another injured ninja.

"I was beginning to think you had died, too," the other person said. I turned my head to the side and saw Tokomo-sensei staring across the room from me. She was leaning against my bedside table. Now her thoughts practically screamed at me. All her accusations, all her pain and grief. All of it was focused on me. She had entrusted the lives of her genin in my hands and now they were dead.

I said nothing as she looked over and glared at me. "I told you, specifically, that you were not to die trying to complete this mission. I thought you would know their limits but you pushed them, didn't you? You wanted to save that sand ninja. That was your goal. And he got away, too. That's what they said. Squad 7 let them go. I wonder why." I honestly didn't know. I barely remembered catching up to Gaara and his squad. And Squad 7? Had they really been there?

Thoughts of Miu and Takeo filled my head. Her soft smile, those eyes without lids, the blood bubbling from between her lips. _Takeo…_ He had told me not to blame their deaths on me, but Tokomo-sensei did. And she was right, it was my fault. I had killed them. "Are you going to say anything?" Tokomo demanded. She was at her wits' end. Her genin had been the only genin to die. All the others were safe and sound but her team of misfits was dead. Besides me, the squad leader that she blamed everything on.

"Water," I pleaded, my voice hoarse. She sighed inwardly but picked up a glass of water from the table she was leaning on and helped me drink. My arms were still useless. They felt better, though. The pain wasn't nearly as awful as last time.

"Why did you fight them, Nari?" she breathed. She was talking about the sound ninja. "I told you not to fight a hopeless battle. Why did you?"

"It wasn't hopeless," I responded, closing my eyes. Tokomo was about to attack me, to explain why it was. "I killed them. All sixty sound ninja. It was easy. But there is always a drawback to such power. Miu and Takeo did not die fighting. They died running. Running from my jutsu that burned them alive." My sensei couldn't begin to comprehend the pain I felt for my actions. I wanted to curl up in a ball and howl until the moon stopped rising and the sun stopped setting. But I didn't let that show. I laid flat on my back, staring at the ceiling with a blank face.

"You… you killed Takeo and Miu?" She almost didn't believe it. She knew Miu was my friend and she was almost certain that Takeo and I were growing together.

"How far were they from the center?" I asked, despite that I didn't need to. I already knew. They were forty-seven yards from where I had released the jutsu. The blast radius was fifty yards. Had they listened, they might've been alive. Badly burned, sure, but alive. "I told them to go fifty yards. I created a diversion so they could escape the ambush and flee fifty yards. That way my jutsu wouldn't hurt them. But they didn't, did they? They were too close." _"Don't blame our deaths on yourself. We should've gone farther."_ That's what Takeo had said. He was right. He was always right.

"You're a traitor," Tokomo-sensei accused. "I'll have you punished for this if it's the last thing I do." Then she was gone. My sensei, one of only two I fully respected, and she had turned her back on me. _Why?_

►§◄

It took me a week to recuperate after my battle. The doctors had been amazed by my recovery and that I had the ability to use my arms like before. In fact, the only sign that my arms had ever exploded were thin scars crisscrossing over them. They'd fade soon enough. I doubt that I would ever have permanent scars.

Walking down the middle of Konoha, I thought about what Tokomo-sensei and the elders had decided. Until a new Hokage was put in place, my rights as a ninja were suspended. That meant only one thing to me; it was time to move on. The next Hokage may not show up for a year or longer. There was no reason for me to stick around that long.

Naruto passed by me as I was walking. He had a small pack on his back and was grumbling about some "pervy sage". "Hello, Naruto," I spoke up. I was feeling the effects of depression and I was sure he, of all people, could cheer me up. At the very least, he might give me an idea of where to go.

"Oh. Hi, Nari!" he responded with a grin. "Where are you headed?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "Yourself?"

"I'm going with the pervy sage to go find some special lady and do some training… Hey, did you ever get assigned to a team?" I bit my lip, showing on my face that it was a sore subject. "They were the two genin that died, weren't they? I'm sorry." I shrugged, not knowing what else to say. "How come you don't have a headband on?"

"They think I'm a traitor because the circumstances around my teammates' deaths are so mysterious. Up until the new Hokage is appointed, I'm not a ninja. I was thinking about traveling until that happens. I just don't know where to go." Naruto frowned slightly.

"Well, um… Could I ask you a favor then? Since you're leaving anyway?" I nodded. "Could you watch out for the sand ninja? Sasuke said you must have watched us battle and, you know, I just don't want them planning something." _Why didn't I think of that?_ I chastised myself. _Gaara is a perfect pass time._

"Yeah. I can do that," I agreed. "I didn't watch the battle though. What happened?" The rest of our walk to the outside of the village consisted of a descriptive summary. He couldn't tell me everything. We simply didn't have enough time.

"Hey, Pervy Sage!" Naruto called, running towards a ninja with white hair. I followed him out of the village slowly, coming to a stop and leaning on my staff.

"Who's the pretty girl?" the man asked, although he was staring at me suspiciously. He saw my eyes and the one headband they couldn't take away. He knew what I was immediately, and he also knew that I could read his mind. He was a sannin, not a regular jounin. He was dangerous. But, if he knew, why hadn't Orochimaru?

"That's Nari, Pervy Sage. She's leaving too."

"I see," he muttered in a tone one might use with a child. "And where's she headed?"

"I'm on a peace mission," I explained, although it wasn't exactly true. "After the attack from Orochimaru, it's best if we not have enemies. I already have connections in Suna so…" The man nodded, figuring it was best I leave. He had heard about my team too. I bit back a retort for the accusations in his thoughts.

"Do you know the way?" he asked.

"Yeah…" Animals had an uncanny sense of direction. We could retrace our steps years after we made them. Finding Suna would be easy. Not to mention, Gaara's scent couldn't have faded too much. I had heard it had rained but I doubt they had gotten very far before that and they would've taken shelter during the rain, if it had even hit outside of the village. The sannin didn't argue.

I walked with them for a while but left as our paths branched off. Once Naruto and his sensei were gone, I shifted into nine-tailed fox form so I could hunt out scents better. I had been right about being able to find Gaara's scent. I found the remains of a week old camp and then followed his scent from there. Running through the night, it only took me three days to reach the Land of Wind. I rested for an hour once I hit the border, but I didn't dare sleep. Then, it took me a day to reach Suna, thinking of Gaara all the while.

It had occurred to me that maybe something Naruto had said had gotten through the jinchuriki's skull. If that was true, I definitely wanted to watch the transition from the cold, frightening boy to something more. I didn't expect much to change but surely there'd be a difference. A hint of emotion, an occasional smile. But first, I needed to eat and sleep. It was nighttime when I approached slowly, wondering where Gaara might be.

I saw him out there, sitting on the ledge of the canyon just before the village. I sighed inwardly. I didn't really want to go out to him right then and there. He probably had questions I couldn't answer. But I did want to comfort him somehow. No one should be left to figure out something like that on their own. I thought over my plan carefully before performing my nine-tailed replication jutsu.

I looked towards the beast to tell her what I wanted when I heard her think_, Yeah, yeah. I know what you're planning._ I smiled and transformed into a nine-tailed fox as she took human form. She cast a genjutsu over Gaara, a difficult thing to do over such a long distance, so that I'd look like a normal fox to him. Then she disappeared and I began to approach. On my way over, I caught wind of a jackrabbit. I caught and killed it, carrying my meal with me as I lay beside Gaara on the cliff's edge.

I felt his eyes peer down at me as I devoured the flesh of the rabbit. "Nari sent you, didn't she?" he muttered, patting my head softly. I didn't give any sign that I had heard him. I ripped apart the poor animal, crushing bones as I went. "Her curiosity is insatiable." I was glad for the rabbit then. It kept me from laughing. He started stroking my back and I couldn't help but to scoot closer, liking the sensation.

"Where is Nari? I'd have liked to talk to her. I hate to admit it, but I was wrong and she was right. I think Naruto Uzumaki did change me." I nodded in agreement. He looked down at me with lonely eyes. I stared back up at him with intelligent eyes. I wanted him to know that I could understand what he was saying. Silence ensued.

"Did she fight for the Village Hidden in the Leaves?" I nodded. "I heard from Temari that there must have been another great fight somewhere near where I had been fighting. She said that the entire area had been flattened and near sixty sound ninja were found dead, along with two leaf ninja." I whined a little, thinking about Miu and Takeo. "They were her teammates, weren't they? The two leaf ninja." I nodded again. He sighed. "So she knows how to love," he declared. "That makes two of us.

_Two?_ I thought, glancing up at him with what I figured would be a confused expression. Gaara didn't know how to love. Of that, I was sure. "There are three demon children that I know of. Two know how to love; Naruto and Nari." I wiggled my head from side to side, showing that that was debatable, before relaxing to finish eating my dinner. "At the very least, Naruto does." I nodded vehemently.

"Did Nari kill her teammates?" My whine this time was heartbreaking. It was too obvious how deeply that pained me. "I'm sorry for her," he muttered, petting me again. "Apparently, her jutsu was stronger than she thought it was." _It wasn't my jutsu,_ I wanted to correct him. _I just shouldn't have fallen asleep. I had _WAY_ too much chakra built up. The only time I had that big of an explosion was when I killed my first sensei. I don't even remember his name; I was so young._

"I'm glad I didn't kill Temari and Kankuro, even though I was fully prepared to. I shouldn't have been. They're my siblings, my family. I should've never wanted to kill them. I should've never thought about it." I gave him a reassuring nudge with my head before licking the last of the meat off my rabbit. Then, I took one bone and snapped it in half with my jaws, anxious to get at the bone marrow within.

"I wonder how she does that in human form." I picked up a different bone and laid it on another. Then, getting to my feet, I stepped on either end of the bone on top. Eventually, it snapped in half, unable to bear the weight with the other bone underneath. Then I went back to eating. Gaara simply bobbed his head. We must have sat there for hours, staring at the sky, because the sun was beginning to rise.

"I don't know how she does it," he finally admitted. "Even though I'm surrounded by people, I still feel all alone. How does she act as though she's not? How does she bypass that pain?" I stirred slowly. I had been still for a while, full and not having anything to try and say without words. Now, I was confused. How was I supposed to explain that I never felt alone because I could hear whenever somebody thought about me, without telling him that I could read minds? And how was I supposed to even try to do that in beast form?

I made a rash decision, one I'd probably regret. I got up from my little meal and tugged on his hand with my mouth. I led him through the canyon, to his village. We walked into Suna, side by side, him following me now. I searched the minds around me. Everyone noticed Gaara as soon as he came into his presence. They weren't ignoring him, they were just acting like it.

I dug through people's minds, looking for someone Gaara might remember personally. Not just someone who had given him a fleeting glance and scurried off, but someone who had actually had an encounter with him. Even an unfortunate encounter would do. I just needed somebody who had actually given him their full attention before. I was surprised at how little that had happen. Almost everyone had given their full attention to him before but it wasn't returned. They all seemed to fear and hate him. This was going to be harder than I thought.

Finally, I decided it was best to just sniff out Temari. I found her with ease, in a large building towards the middle of the Village Hidden in the Sand. She was talking to Kankuro but I stole her attention with a small head-butt. She looked down at me with surprise before glancing up at Gaara. He stood there silently, arms crossed. Completely clueless at what to do. I growled in frustration. This was so difficult!

I herded Temari and Kankuro into a small room and pushed Gaara into the entrance way, blocking their exit. Then I turned to find someone else. When Gaara tried to follow me, I growled, hackles rising. He seemed to get the point, not moving from his spot again as I turned to leave. "What's going on, Gaara?" Kankuro demanded.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. I found Baki next, and luckily, another jounin who had watched Gaara extensively through out his childhood. It took me longer to get them to follow me, but, unlike Gaara, they could see my multitude of tails. They knew I was no regular fox and they grudgingly went where I bid. When they saw Gaara and his two siblings stuck in a room, they hesitated, but I forced them in with a ram from behind. I managed to hit one in the back of the knee, making him collapse.

"What is this all about," Baki asked.

"We don't know," Temari answered. "But the animal doesn't want us to leave." I nodded and ran back out. I took me a little under two hours to pack the room full of people. Then I sat on my haunches and smiled up at Gaara, panting. He looked from me to the room of people, studying their faces. I didn't know if he'd recognize them all or if he even understood what I was trying to say. The others didn't, but they were smart enough to guess that this crowding had something to do with Gaara. I waited expectantly.

"I still don't understand," Gaara said with a shake of his head. I let out an irritated whine, feeling deflated. How was I supposed to make this clear to him? Someone without my gifts might never understand. Still, I wasn't going to give up so easily. I strode into the room and stared at all the faces gawking at me. Some with fear, most with confusion. I lifted my tails and swirled them around, looking agitated. My hackles rose and I growled deeply, getting ready to pounce. The crowd went into a defensive position, most coming to fear my next move. They all froze after preparing for an attack.

I sat down and relaxed, making them feel safe again, but when they moved, I rose to attack again. I kept at this until they eventually learned not to move. Then, a few who did move that didn't look at me, I didn't go after. The others learned the same tactic. In just over an hour, they all learned to ignore me unless they wanted to be attacked. Now I stared at Gaara. Was this a good enough example? His eyebrows furrowed together. Still not quite getting it. I sighed.

I walked through the crowd, just for an added measure. They all turned their backs to me, ignoring me. _I think I'm starting to get this_, I heard Temari think. _She's trying to teach Gaara why we ignore him. _"Gaara," she spoke up. "Imagine the fox is you." I let out a happy yip as realization crossed his features.

"But how does that help with showing why she doesn't feel as though she's alone?" he mumbled in a whisper too low for anyone else to hear. I kept walking through the crowd so he could study how they parted for me. How the way they turned their back on me was actually their way of taking notice of me. He shook his head.

"Well, I tried," I said, going into human form again. The group of ninja looked at me with a mixture of horror and surprise. "You can't say I didn't try. You're just not ready for it yet. There are other things you have to understand first." Gaara frowned, glaring at me. By taking human form, I had broken my genjutsu on him and now he knew that he had been fooled. _That's how she was able to sit with him and not be killed_, Baki realized. _She's a demon child, too._

"Anyway," I muttered, sitting cross-legged on the opposite side of the room from the crowd. "You can leave. I'm not going to hold you here any longer." Most bolted. Other slowly drained out, peeking at me curiously as they left.

"You tricked me," Gaara hissed once they were all gone.

"I tried to help you," I defended myself. "They're still things I don't understand. I was afraid that if I approached you as myself, you'd ask about them. I saved us both the trouble."

"You still tricked me," he complained before leaving with the rest. I frowned angrily and looked down at my hands that were sitting in my lap. I felt tears well up behind my eyes, although I didn't know exactly why. I knew I hadn't actually helped him, but I had done my best. Wasn't that enough?

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**I'm sorry if I got the genjutsu part wrong. I don't know if you cast it on the object or the person but I just guessed it was the person. Anyway, thank you for reading and please review. Oh, yeah! Next one's half and half.**


	13. One Step Closer

**This one is a little faster paced but not much happens. But there is another major plot event (although I doubt you'll realize what). Thanks for reading. Enjoy!**

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Sitting in a small, enclosed room was not something I was comfortable doing for long. In all honesty, I found doing so unnerving, as though as I was trapped. To ease myself, I slipped out of the building and to the streets below, taking nine-tailed fox form. I moved with ease around curious bystanders. To them, I was just a strange creature. There was nothing to be afraid of.

I walked out of Suna, wanting to find my staff before it was buried in the sand forever. I followed my own scent to where I had left it and began to dig. The sand hadn't completely engulfed it so it was relatively easy to find. Then I took human form again so I might explore the Village Hidden in the Sand in peace.

The buildings were curious structures to set your eyes upon. They were made of some sort of clay. What truly caught my attention, on the other hand, was the market. Things were set about in an orderly fashion. First, there were meats, then dairy and egg products. Next, fruits and vegetables. Last of all were breads and noodles. After the food section, there were various stores for clothing, furniture, decoration, and trinkets.

"May I ask what this is used for?" I asked a vendor softly, pointing to a golden object. It was small and made of two prongs, one folded over the other. The man looked at me in surprise.

"It's a hair pin," he replied. I furrowed my eyebrows together. A small ribbon was enough to contain my hair for it was rather thin but I couldn't imagine anyone having so little hair that such a small object could contain it.

"How is it used?" I continued. The vendor shook his head and a toothy grin took over his features.

"You don't go to markets very often, do you, girl?" I shook my head. "Kio, come here!" the man called. A boy who was probably just older than me appeared.

"Yes, Father?" the boy said.

"Why don't you show this girl around the market? Bring her back for dinner when you're done. And here," the man tossed his son a small pouch. "Spending money," he explained. Kio's eyes widened in surprise.

"Thank you, Father," the boy said. "Will you come with me, my lady?" I stared at the strange boy with an expression of shock.

"My lady?" I echoed. "I'm no lady, sir. I'm just a girl." He glanced at my headband and then back up at me in confusion. Then I heard his thoughts ever so clearly but I couldn't believe them at all. _I thought all nine-tailed ninja were lords and ladies,_ he said to himself. _I guess not…_ He also knew, quite surprisingly, that I could read minds. "How did you attain such information," I demanded in a low whisper.

"Our ancestors used to live in the Village of the Nine-Tailed Fox before we set out to become merchants," the older man explained. "Have you not encountered others from the village? How is the village?" I shook my head.

"The village is in ruins. By the looks of it, it had been abandoned since before I was born. I haven't met anyone who has even heard of it besides the late Hokage." The man looked grave.

"A shame. I had been hoping to return there in my lifetime. There so much my grandfather didn't tell us," Kio added. "But are you truly not a lady?"

"Considering the village is no more, I don't have anything to be lady of. Not to mention, I wasn't raised under such formal conditions. Additionally, I'd rather not go sporting around such information. Please, just call me Nari." Kio nodded his head.

"Come, Nari. Suna has much to offer," he said, extending his hand. I took it hesitantly and we walked off. His father smiled at our backs, praying we'd become friends. After two hours of exploring all the market had to offer, Kio took me back to his home. "You could spend all day there and not satisfy your curiosity," Kio claimed as we walked out of the shopping area.

"Probably," I agreed. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks, staring up ahead. I followed his line of sight. There stood Gaara, his face completely washed of emotion. "Hello, Gaara," I greeted him while coming closer. When Kio did not follow me, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward. _Nari, he's…_ Images of destruction flashed through Kio's mind.

"Temari wishes to speak with you," Gaara muttered, glancing at Kio and my hand on him. "Kankuro and Baki, too, would like an audience." _She knows all four of them?_ Kio's mind screamed.

"Right now?" I said instead of answering the silent query. The jinchuriki nodded. I frowned slightly. I had been hoping to sit with Kio and his father for a meal. It'd be nice to speak with someone who truly understood me. "Well, if it can't be helped… I'm sorry, Kio. Tell your father that I greatly appreciate the offer for dinner but I'm required elsewhere."

"Be safe, Nari," he replied.

"Don't worry about me," I reassured him. "I'm plenty strong enough to handle myself." He smiled a little, then nodded and scampered off. "Come on," I mumbled to Gaara as I headed in the direction of the round building. The Kazekage's building, as Kio had been so kind to point out earlier.

"Who was he?" Gaara asked, following beside me. I turned to look at him. If his curiosity was as insatiable as mine, I might be able to get a full conversation out of him.

"Is," I corrected him. "Who _is_ he? Anyway, his name is Kio. His family came here from my village a while back. He was showing me around the market and explaining the objects there. Did you know that there are devices, now, to check the time?" Gaara nodded and wouldn't say anymore not matter what I tried. I puffed at my bangs but didn't complain. At least he wasn't upset any longer.

Slipping into the Kazekage's building was rather simple, frighteningly so. The one thing I dreaded the most was the possibility of walking across him and being recognized. That wouldn't be very good for anyone. I still had a promise to fulfill.

Gaara led me to a small dining area where his brethren already sat. Baki was at the head of the table, Temari and Kankuro on either side. Gaara sat next to Kankuro and I was told to sit next to Temari. Three sets of eyes landed upon me, their minds all demanding the revelation of my identity and intentions.

It was awkward, sitting with them. The food they had already set at the table looked unappetizing. I didn't want to eat. "Who are you?" Baki started. I saw that this was going to be more of an interrogation than a dinner. They were all too concerned about the safety of their village and family.

"My name is Nari Ninetails. I'm the only existing clan member. My village of origin is destroyed. I was raised by rogue ninja since no hidden village would accept me. About a month and a half ago, I was made a genin of the Hidden Leaf Village. My teammates died during the invasion and because of the mysterious circumstances surrounding their deaths, I've been omitted from their ranks until the newest Hokage is selected. He will punish me as he sees fit. My intentions here are peaceful and scholarly. I'm not a threat to the village, nor am I a spy." _There, that about sums it up_, I thought to myself.

"The Nightmare of the Village Hidden in the Leaves," Baki breathed in recognition. He, too, had heard stories of my power.

"I prefer the Demon Child of Fire, but I've been called that before."

"Is she like Gaara?" Kankuro asked his sensei, not expecting me to know what that meant.

"No," I answered for him. "I don't have another being sealed within me."

"Then why I are you considered a demon child," Temari contributed.

"That wasn't a transformation jutsu you saw earlier," I explained. "I'm a demon that happens to be a child. Of course, I'd rather keep that knowledge contained within this room. I'm not particularly fond of people being dead afraid of me. I prefer being unnoticed." The two elder sand siblings glared at me with disbelief.

"You're not a demon," Kankuro scoffed, analyzing me. In his opinion, I was too soft looking. My eyes were creepy, but I was puny and not a frightening figure. In his mind, demons were supposed to strike fear in the hearts of those around them instantaneously.

"My favorite food is bone marrow. I prefer raw over cooked meat. I am carnivorous by nature and detest fruits, vegetables, and grains of any kind. Every day I am forced to tamp down my craving for human flesh. Part of me craves to destroy everything I come in contact with. I kill ruthlessly without any concern of the pain or suffering of those around me. I'm also very hot tempered. I'm weak for a demon, and have a surprising amount of self-control. But I _am_ a demon, nonetheless." _Things just got a whole lot scarier_, Kankuro thought, putting a little more distance in between him and I. He secretly wished he had brought his puppet to dinner with him. Only Gaara and I were armed.

"And yet we have nothing to fear from you?" Baki reassured himself.

"The people of Suna are innocent. Why would I want to destroy them? Besides, I don't want to go on a suicide mission. I know my limits." _I also wouldn't want to draw attention to myself. There's the Kazekage and whoever becomes the new Hokage to worry about. _

"Then we'll keep your presence here a secret," Baki assured me. I was surprised by that.

"Aren't you, at least, going to tell your Kazekage? I wouldn't deny you of that." I cold silence settled around the table. I saw it in their minds. He was dead. "Snakes are not to be trusted," I said softly. None of them found my conclusion to be out of the blue. _That was my prey, Orochimaru_, I growled inwardly. _Not yours to take._ Suddenly, a word popped into Temari's head that I had not been expecting; father.

"Might I make a suggestion then?" I began again. This pulled them out of their reclusive moment. "I'm not a political person nor do I have any idea of such issues, but I did make a promise to someone that I'd try to restore peace between the villages. The attack on Konoha could be seen as a provocation to war. But neither village has the means to endure such a thing. In fact, if the Kazekage was desperate enough to accept Orochimaru's offer, then there's no way Suna could undergo a war without support. Why not, then, establish peace once again?" Baki glared at me, along with the two, elder sand siblings. In their eyes, I had no right to speak such things.

"She's right," Gaara said before anyone could protest. We all turned towards him. He just sat in silence, eating. Temari sighed.

"I never did agree with the idea to invade Konoha. I understand why the decision was made, but it didn't appeal to me. There were our allies, after all," she stated. Kankuro nodded in agreement. Baki glanced between the genin before him.

"I'll mention it to the elders," he muttered. I noticed that he didn't vouch to argue for it. The others began to eat in silence. I just sat there, waiting patiently to be dismissed. Gaara glanced up at me and then stood randomly, and left. He returned a few moments later and put two bones down in front of me before returning to his seat. He waited, eyes trained on me.

"Your curiosity is almost as bad as mine," I told him, as I placed one bone on top of the other and split it in half. "But I appreciate it." The normal humans peered between us with shocked expressions. I placed the non-cracked bone on top of half of the first and broke it too. The bones weren't completely cleaned, but there wasn't any raw meat on them. I'd be alright if I ate the hidden meal trapped inside.

_She's not, seriously, going to eat the bone marrow_, Temari told herself. I lifted one of the bone fragments to my mouth and set away at devouring the inside, holding Gaara's gaze all the while. A crack resounded around the room as my now chakra infused teeth split the bone even further.

_That's just sick_, Kankuro declared, turning away. _I hope Gaara doesn't start doing that._ I laughed inwardly at the image. I doubted that would happen. It took a certain craving… "Is that even healthy?" Temari asked aloud. I couldn't help the small snort that left me.

"Healthier than what you're eating," I replied. "Bone marrow contains certain nutrients that are hard to find elsewhere. It's not good for your teeth but I don't have that issue."

"It's a strange habit," she continued. Out of all of them, excluding Gaara, she was the most receptive to my unusual tastes.

"It's the only way to indulge my demonic side without causing harm to myself or others."

"So you fight against it?" I shook my head.

"It's more like self-control than anything else. It's not like I'm fighting against anything. I simply choose not to do things. It would be like you deciding to leave your enemy instead of outright killing him," I explained, setting down the first piece and picking up the next. No one else said anything, and, finally, I was excused from the meal. I thanked them for their hospitality and left.

I wasn't far from the dining room when a gruff voice called me back. "I want you to stay in the building," Baki ordered. He didn't trust me enough to permit to wander around the village. At least, not without an escort. "Follow me to your room." I nodded, compliantly. I understood their hesitance to trust me.

"If you allow me to hunt the jack rabbits by the cliffs, you won't have to feed me. I wouldn't mind having someone tag along." Baki nodded, saying he'd order one of the siblings to accompany me on any trips out of the building. He was planning to assign me permanently to Temari's company but I convinced him against it. I'd much rather be lobbed between the three.

Baki pointed out that my room was set next to Temari's and directly across the hall from Gaara's. I imagined he didn't use it often. My room was small and had a porthole on the far wall. The bed lay just under the hole so that the sleeper might have a good view of the stars. A dresser was on the right wall and a door that I assumed led to a bathroom was on the left. The wall with access to the hallway was bare aside from a map of the shinobi world.

"Thank you," I told Baki sweetly as I stepped in, tapping the walls with my staff to determine their thickness. They were thick enough that only a loud ruckus outside would disturb me. I found that pleasing. Of course, any thoughts about me were sure to disturb me as well. But that couldn't be helped.

Baki left me then, his thoughts taking other worries. For now, I was not a concern. I walked over to the bed, leaning my staff on it. It was just as soft as the bed at Sakura's house, if not softer. I was tired but I wanted to satiate some of my curiosity first. I had never been in a bathroom before. Usually I just did my business in the wilderness and bathed in rivers or streams.

"You're like a child," a cold voice commented as I studied a strange bowl/seat.

"Instead of criticizing me, why not tell me what this is?" Gaara approached further until he was standing right behind me. We were so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body. My heart fluttered at the realization. I shook my head and stamped down the unfamiliar emotion. I hadn't experience such a thing before.

"Toilet," Gaara responded.

"And this?" I pointed to bowl/counter.

"Sink." Then I pointed to a closed off section of the bathroom. The floor was raised slightly and a sliding glass door separated it from the rest of the room. The door didn't reach to the ceiling though, which I found perplexing. "Shower."

"Like a rain shower? Does the water fall from the ceiling?" Gaara pushed aside the glass door and pointed to a strange object that protruded from the wall. It had little holes on the bottom of it and was high enough that I could stand beneath it. I peered at the knobs below it. "Is that how you turn it on?" He nodded.

I leaned forward and twisted one of the knobs to the left. I jumped back suddenly when water spurted from the showerhead. I fell right into Gaara, who caught and steadied me. "Thanks," I breathed as a blush crept up my cheeks. He dropped his arms but I felt the lingering phantom of his touch. I leaned forward and turned the now steaming water off. I wasn't bothered by the scalding heat. I had had worst burns before.

The red-headed figure strolled out of the bathroom, expecting me to follow. I did. He stood by my bed, arms crossed. "Yes?" I asked sweetly.

"What's your real purpose in Suna?" he demanded.

"To study you," I answered honestly. He studied me as I took a step forward. "I want to know what's going to happen now." His eyes narrowed but his expression soon returned to being impassive. I took another step, seeing how far he'd let me go now that we weren't in the crowded bathroom. He stepped back with my next move. I repressed the urge to frown. _Close enough_, I thought. I moved swiftly, jumping over him and landing behind, producing a kunai from my pack. I pressed it close to this throat. I felt him freeze, his heartbeat stopping for a moment. "Dead," I hissed triumphantly.

Surprised, ice blue eyes turned to look at me. He couldn't move much without me noticing. My right hand held the kunai and the other was wrapped around his left wrist. I could feel his blood pulsing through his body, my flat chest pressing against his back so that I might sense the ripple of his muscles. Suddenly, sand began to push the kunai away from his throat. I tried to fight it, wondering how he managed to control the sand without any hand signs. His right hand lay limp by his side.

"How…?" I whined as the kunai was wrenched from my grasp. Sand began to circle around my arm. I pulled away from him sharply only to hit the dresser behind me. I released his left arm and tried to move away before the sand encased my entire limb. It didn't do me any good. I was trapped in a corner.

"The sand moves of its own accord," he reminded me. I growled in frustration.

"You would've been dead had I wished to kill you," I pointed out. He nodded, accepting the fact stoically. I glanced at my now over-weighted arm. It made the limb cumbersome to use. I could barely lift it. "Can I have my arm back?" I said in an aggravated tone, not showing that I knew full and well that he could crush it at will.

Gaara lifted his hand and all but a ring of sand around my wrist receded. He held his hand open, pointed at my wrist. I waited, knowing nothing I did would stop whatever he planned to do. He closed his hand into a fist. I turned away, closing my eyes and prepared myself for the crushing agony. I peaked out my right eye when it didn't occur and looked at the wrist in question.

A rock hard bracelet encircled it. The kanji for fear was engraved on the top side. I flipped it over and saw the kanji for love. I glanced up at Gaara in confusion as sand wrapped around my left wrist and formed a second bracelet. On the top of that one was the kanji for isolation and on the bottom, the kanji for happiness.

"Um…," I mumbled, lost. The jinchuriki said nothing. He turned away from me and left without any form of explanation. After awhile, I shut off the lights and retired to my bed. I stared at the starry night, the moon hidden from view, until troublesome dreams pulled me under.

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**Hmm... I wonder why he put those there. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review.**


	14. Resolutions

**Hello, dear friends. I'd just like to thank you all for reading and a special thanks to those who review. I've not yet discovered how long this story is going to be but I'm going to try to stay ahead of you in chapters so that the updates remain semi-constant. Enjoy.**

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Loud voices outside of my door drew me from my slumber. I had been in Suna for a while now and I had become familiar with the ways of those around me. Bickering between Kankuro and Temari was not uncommon but was usually stopped by the intervention of a higher-ranking ninja or their younger brother. But for them to be loud enough to awaken me; that was strange. I stepped into the hall.

"I have more important things to do than to help you on some wild mission," Kankuro stated, frustrated.

"It's not some wild mission. This will further bridge the gap between our two villages," Temari argued. The council had accepted my idea that Suna and Konoha should reestablish peace, but we were a long way from being friends. Temari thought that whatever mission she wanted to embark on would help the cause. Kankuro thought it was a waste of time. He had been planning on spending the day learning new techniques for his puppets.

"Now, now," I interjected softly. "Let's calm down and discuss this civilly. What's the issue?" I asked even though I already knew. I had yet to reveal my mind reading abilities with them. I listened to them recount their sides of the story silently. Gaara appeared whilst I completed the activity.

"Is there an issue?" he asked. I shook my head.

"You have a mission, if you'll accept it," I replied. "The new Hokage wants you to back up a team of hers that was sent out on a dangerous mission. You're to report immediately." Kankuro heaved a sigh, realizing I was on Temari's side. "It's a perfect way to bridge the gap between the villages," I told the middle sibling. I knew he wasn't really upset about having to help Konoha. He simply didn't feel like doing anything. He was lazy and arrogant. Then again, his arrogance was well deserved.

"Fine," the puppet master sighed. "Let's get going. We'll see you around, Nari."

"I was planning on joining you," I stated. All three siblings hesitated. During our trips to the training grounds, they had discovered the unstable properties of my chakra. They also knew I had just awoken. They didn't want to risk it. "I'm proficient with taijutsu," I reminded them. "Besides, I doubt I'll actually be put on the mission. I'm sure that the Hokage will want my attention." They nodded, remembering that I was awaiting a trial. We left minutes later and headed for Konoha.

Thanks to our breakneck speed, it didn't take long to reach the city. They protruded passports while I explained that, technically, I was a Leaf ninja. Thankfully, the jounin had seen me before I left and I was able to push that memory to the surface. We reached the Hokage's office without incident.

"Lady Hokage," Temari greeted the woman whose first name was Tsunade. I stood a little behind the group, not wanting to draw attention to myself. "What is our mission?"

"One of our genin, Sasuke Uchiha, has been captured by enemy ninja. We sent out a retrieval squad but we now have information that our genin may not be able to handle the task. Your mission is to back-up the team."

"Who are we assisting?" Kankuro asked. Gaara remained impassive as she read the names, until Naruto Uzumaki was uttered. A slight hint of interest crossed his face but it quickly disappeared.

"We also believe that Rock Lee has gone to their assistance." The three siblings shifted uncomfortably. _These are the genin we faced during the Chuunin Exams,_ Temari noted. _Naruto Uzumaki was the kid in orange. Rock Lee nearly defeated Gaara and Sasuke Uchiha actually managed to penetrate Gaara's defense. Not to mention Shikamaru Nara. He's one to watch._ I was familiar with all but Rock Lee. The memories of a green-clad ninja moving faster than Gaara's sand flickered across her memory. I'd have to talk to him some time to see how he got close to defeating the jinchuriki.

"All of you have been specially selected for this mission. Dismissed." We turned to leave but were stopped. "Besides you," the Hokage said, pointing towards me. All of us paused and turned towards her. "Nari Ninetails," she breathed. "The rest of you can go. I'm sure the team needs you." The sand siblings nodded and disappeared. I approached her desk again and waited for the worst. "I hear about you at least three times a day from Tokomo. Not to mention the families of Miu and Takeo. They want you punished severely."

"I understand," I muttered, looking into Tsunade's mind. _It's good she returned to us. As it was, I never intended to waste ninja on finding the little twerp. Her rights as a leaf shinobi were suspended. That's harsh enough for most ninja. Then again, when you're a turn sword… Or perhaps she was never a true leaf shinobi at all. She seems to be getting on well enough. And that headband, a nine-tailed ninja won't be put down so easily. Well, she's here now. Too bad for her._

"I know the sand siblings on a personal level," I informed the Hokage. She knew of nine-tailed ninja and their ability to read minds. "I was asked by another ninja to keep an eye on them so they didn't cause the Leaf Village anymore trouble. I think I did a swell job, don't you?" Tsunade was taken slightly aback.

"And what ninja asked that of you?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. When I told him I was leaving the village until a new Hokage was chosen, he asked it as a favor. I accepted." _Of course, it would be Naruto to cause trouble, but why does he take interest in the sand ninja?_ "Naruto changed Gaara's way of thinking. I believe they will become friends in time." _I see…_ That phrase. I was really starting to hate that phrase.

"Well, now that you're here. Go find Tokomo. Tell her she'll be having her wish granted." I nodded and headed out. Tokomo-sensei was not difficult to find. She was painting just outside of the village. We used to train there, that way I didn't damage anything. She paid me little attention as I snuck up from behind. She was painting a piece with Miu and Takeo looking at a pond surrounded by birds. I was in it as well, on the other side of the pond. I was staring at the sky.

The day came back to me vividly, one of the few days we had rested. _"Look, Takeo," Miu whispered. "The pond is surrounded by birds. Isn't it beautiful?" Takeo nodded. I was sprawled on the other side of the pond, watching the clouds. We had been hanging out all day, and it had been three days since I had last slept. I was tired and the sky was so peaceful. Like that, I could almost forget about the upcoming invasion._

_"You should sit with me," I called softly. "The birds will stay." They promptly sat down where they stood. I let out a soft laugh. _Silly children_, I thought. Then I heard Tokomo-sensei approaching. She was studying the scene, smiling at us. _They're going to make fine ninja one day_, she claimed._

"I miss them," I voiced, drawing attention to myself. Tokomo whipped around and glared at me. I couldn't tear my eyes from the painting, staring at all the discrepancies. Miu had been wearing a blue ribbon in her hair that day, not a purple one. There were seventeen birds, not nineteen. But I didn't say anything. "Come," I called before my former sensei could let loose all the things she wished to say. "The time has come for your wish to be granted."

It didn't take us long to return to Lady Tsunade, whose assistant had joined her. We both stood in front of her desk, side-by-side, as if we were a team again. The Hokage studied us closely, her assistant putting papers down in front of her. _They must've been quite a team_, she thought, glancing down at the paperwork. _But they were still newly-fledged genin. They shouldn't have been sent on such a dangerous mission._

"Don't get too giddy, Tokomo," Tsunade warned. "I'm going to get the truth about this situation. I'm not so quick to point fingers."

"She admitted to killing them," Tokomo protested.

"I did," I agreed softly. "I killed sixty-two ninja that day, six more than I killed while with rogues." I had killed a couple of non-rogue ninja while I was a free shinobi.

"Still," Tsunade muttered. She knew that nine-tailed ninja, especially the young ones, had limited control over their massive chakra stores. And, by what she had read about the incident, it seemed more that it was an accident than anything else. She was right. "You sent three genin, who had only been out of the academy for little over a month, after three elite sand shinobi? What made you think they had any chance on this mission?"

"Our orders were to make sure that the sand shinobi didn't cause anymore trouble. We were a fairly gifted team. We were more than equipped to complete our mission," I defended Tokomo. Yes, she turned me out and stabbed me in the back, but I still respected her and her judgment had not been flawed.

"You mean to say, if they decided to attack, you could have defeated them?"

"With all do respect towards the sand siblings, I could've defeated Temari and Kankuro by myself. As a team, we could've easily overcome them. Gaara, at the time, was incapacitated and we had reinforcements on the way. Not to mention, our plan was to single them out and attack as a group. After weeding out his siblings, Gaara would be forced to either surrender, which is a laughable idea for him, or attack. No, we had no chance of defeating Gaara, but we could have subdued him for the duration of the invasion. The mission was rather simple and fine for our gifts. We were also given orders to retreat if the battle seemed hopeless. Tokomo-sensei was not in the wrong."

"This plan to single them out and then distract Gaara. Was it your idea?" I nodded. _It's too bad she wasn't entered into the Chuunin Exams. She would make a fine squad leader._ Even Tokomo was thinking the same thing. "Then what happened?"

"She…" Tsunade silenced Tokomo with a wave of her hand.

"I was asking Nari, considering she was the only there left alive."

"Only a few minutes after we left in pursuit of the genin, we were surrounded by sound ninja. I attacked the lead ninja to create a distraction for Miu and Takeo to slip away. I had ordered them to retreat fifty yards since I planned on using an explosive technique and I had slept the night before." _Her chakra was at its fullest. As I had expected_, the Hokage deemed silently. "I used my firestorm jutsu. Having so much excess chakra, the explosion was massive. My arms were immediately torn to shreds and the ninja around me were burnt to a crisp.

"The agony was unbearable. I collapsed and may have passed out. Whenever I regained consciousness, I went out in search of Miu and Takeo. I found them forty-seven yards from the center of the blast radius. They were badly burned and it was obvious Miu wouldn't make it. I sat with her the last few moments of her life. Takeo, on the other, probably could've been saved. I offered to find help but he refused, saying he could no longer feel his body and was already slipping into the void. He told me to complete my mission. I accepted his last request and caught up to Gaara, who had already been defeated by Naruto. I didn't have much strength at that point, and passed out."

"You didn't help the sand ninja in anyway?"

"No. I even killed an old acquaintance of mine from the Hidden Sound Village. My focus was on completing my mission and protecting Konoha."

"She's obviously lying," Tokomo declared. Tsunade shook her head.

"I've read the medical report. Both Miu and Takeo died from extensive burns, just as the sound ninja did. Nari's arms were said to be injured by a chakra explosion, which is rather common for a ninja of her type. Neither Sasuke nor Naruto reported her having any hand in the battle against Gaara. She was found unconscious afterward. Whether you wish to believe it or not, Nari was doing as she was told."

"But…"

"I promised your wish would be granted, and so it will be. Nari will get what she deserves. For helping to defend this village against invasion, I'm restoring her rights and privileges as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village. For seeing her mission to the end, even though badly injured and devising a plan of attack one should be proud of, I'm promoting her to chuunin." Disbelief must have been evident on my face because Lady Tsunade smiled and nodded her head in confirmation of the words she said.

"Lady Hokage, you can't be serious?" Both Tokomo and the Hokage's assistant intervened. _Where is her punishment_, they both thought. Again, Tsunade waved them off.

"Of course, not all can be forgiven. For taking the lives of their children, you are to give both families a formal apology, in person. And you are to do each family any mission they request, so long as it is not the taking of your life or any other ninja. Lastly, because it is obvious that you are too unstable to be a part of a team, I'm sending you to the Village Hidden in the Sand. There, you are to further the efforts of peace and make sure that the Kazekage they select is suitable for the efforts of this village. That is, so as long as the elders of Suna agree. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade. Thank you for your leniency." _You don't deserve punishment_, she told me silently. _This is simply a mission your skill set is best suited for. I don't see why Tokomo was so insistent that you be sent to the High Security Prison. You'd only break out and become a rogue if we did that._ I couldn't have agreed more.

"Now, be gone, both of you. I have work to do."

"Yes, Lady Hokage," both Tokomo-sensei and I said before departing. Although she was doing her best to shun me, I could feel the relief flooding through Tokomo. The entire time I had been asleep in the hospital, the other sensei had been telling her that I was probably a traitor and that those deaths were no accident. She had believed them. Now, she was happy again. She had seen the way I had looked at Miu, how I had admired her. She knew, deep within herself, that I couldn't have killed her on purpose. She had known the entire time that I was innocent.

"We probably won't see each other again, Tokomo-sensei," I said softly. "So, goodbye." She glanced at me with surprise. We were standing just outside of the Hokage's building. Her hand fell upon my head and combed through my hair that hung loosely around my face.

"Don't disappoint them," she said softly, referring to Miu and Takeo. "They would've wanted you to succeed as a ninja, even without them here." I nodded, a tear slipping down my cheek. I couldn't stop myself, I hugged my sensei. Then, without another word, we went our separate ways.

►§◄

The families of my deceased teammates were very forgiving once they heard my side of the story (the tears probably helped). The missions I was given were simple and after they were complete, the families came together and we dined together, reliving the memories of Miu and Takeo. I had enjoyed it thoroughly.

I decided not to visit Sakura while I was in town. I imagined, with Sasuke gone, my presence wasn't going to do anything but upset her. As I was waiting for the sand ninja to return, I was busy reading my scrolls. I had been neglecting them since I had received them but now I had some free time. The information was so overwhelming.

Apparently, the nine-tailed demon fox could use transformation jutsu. As he was discovering what it was like to be a human, he came across a girl from the Mayona clan. Realizing that he was no ordinary man, the girl showed him a great deal of kindness. She fed him and showed him around her village. They spent weeks together.

The nine-tailed demon fox took a great liking to this girl and they married and had a single child. The girl died during childbirth and, finding no reason to stay with the Mayona clan, the nine-tailed demon fox returned to his regular form and abandoned the baby. The boy was then raised by the Mayona clan, who taught him their jutsu. They also taught him how to control the mind reading ability he had received from his mother. They attempted to teach him chakra control but to no avail. He had far too much chakra and, eventually, he was forbidden from using any type of ninjutsu or genjutsu.

When the boy had become a man, he was hunting in the woods. During his trip, he came across Kurama, the nine-tailed demon fox. Upon seeing his own son, Kurama asked the child if he knew what he was. The boy answered no, saying he had grown up with the Mayona clan. Kurama then showed the boy how to shift into a nine-tailed fox. The boy was considerably smaller than his father, about the size of an oak tree. Kurama abandoned the boy again. Unable to retake human form, he mated with a fox.

The boy had many children, only six being able to take human form, which they did on their own at a young age. These children were taken to be raised by the Mayona clan. The Mayona clan started the Village of the Nine-Tailed Fox. All of the boy's children ended up mating with foxes, thus diluting the ninja blood even further. _This explains why nine-tailed ninja began to vanish and pop up randomly_, I told myself. _It was rare to began with and we only made it worse. Of course, it's been a long time since we've bred outside of the species. Well, as far as I know. _

While training the six children of the original nine-tailed ninja, two children died of a conjoined chakra explosion. _So this is when they learned not to stick us together._ The children were trained in solitude after that and all nine-tailed ninja afterward were taught not to stay in each other's proximity for long.

Two generations later, a pair of ninja decided not to heed the warning. By then, the Village of the Nine-Tailed Fox was highly populated and others than just the Mayona clan had appeared to care for the powerful children. Anyway, the ninja wanted to train together. During their training, the elder ninja absorbed the chakra of the other one. He went on a rampage and, knowing he wasn't doing it on purpose, the Mayona clan refused to allow anyone else to deal with him. The entire clan was assembled to try and detain the ninja. He eventually exploded and killed the entire clan.

With the Mayona clan gone, it was up to the nine-tailed ninja to keep up the village. The other clans also joined in and became the leading force. Many years after the creation of the Village of the Nine-Tailed Fox(it didn't state how many), Konoha was established. The rest I already knew.

There was more than that, of course, in the scroll but that was the basic summary. It also contained a magnificent list of wise nine-tailed ninja who had contributed greatly to the race. Then, a list of treaties that had been established throughout the years. First and foremost being the one with Konoha agreeing to raise our children. And, at the very end, was a message exclusively for me.

"I know you must have a lot of question," I jumped as the monotone voice read the message from behind me. I had been so engrossed in the scroll I hadn't heard Gaara's approach.

"How long have you been standing there?" I demanded.

"Not long," he assured me, taking notice of the Konoha headband on my forehead. "They readmitted you into their ranks."

"Yes. They've sent a messenger bird to Suna to ask for my permission as an ambassador. I'll be there to help retain peace and speak of matters involving the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Of course, it will truly be an indirect connection to the Hokage. I have no authority in that area." He nodded in understanding.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Do you remember the scroll I showed you when we were younger? The one that said I was a nine-tailed ninja?" He nodded again. "This is a scroll written by the same person. It's about the histories and the treaties of my people." Gaara sat down next to me and gestured for it.

"May I?" he asked when I hesitated. I handed it to him. For whatever reason, I trusted Gaara absolutely. Him having this information wasn't going to hurt either of us. He began to read where I was again. "I know you must have a lot of question that may never be answered, but I will tell you this, young child. You may very well be that last of your kind. In fact, I beg to the Gods that you are. I can only imagine that your life will be as secluded and tedious as mine.

"Nevertheless, do not despair. One thing I have learned is that you are never alone. Surely, by now, having read the thoughts of those around you," Gaara paused shortly at this and then continued, "you have felt the attention of those who pretend to ignore you. You've experienced things through others that you, yourself, may never have had the opportunity to experience. There will come a time in your life that your suffering will cease, be it your death or your rescue.

"This is why I now write to you. After a mere seventy-three years, I am dying. I was reckless in my youth and have killed my body. I fear that I shall not live to pass my knowledge on to the next nine-tailed ninja so I entrust these scrolls to the first Hokage, my only true friend. I have no doubt he will make sure the knowledge is passed to you.

"The one thing I regret in my life, is not taking advantage of it when I had the chance. What I am trying to say, child, is that it matters not where you are going, but how it is you get there. Worry not whom you're with, but how you treat them. Think not of what you're doing, but why it is you're doing it. Is this the right path for you? With this solemn speech of wisdom, I bid you farewell. Lioka Ninetails."

"I really shouldn't let you read all of that," I told Gaara as he began to read from the beginning. "It's race secrets and stuff." He said nothing and went ahead with his intake of information. It didn't bother me. I laid back on the rooftop. I loved roofs. They were so peaceful and empty. "By the way, how did the mission go? Did you retrieve Sasuke?"

"No." I frowned. _So the darkness hath consumed another…_

"Where are Temari and Kankuro?"

"Temari is sitting in the hospital to make sure the others are alright. Kankuro is supposed to be keeping an eye on me." I smiled a little. He wasn't doing a very good job. I closed my eyes and my thoughts reached out for Kankuro's. I found him not far off, thinking about how he always got stuck with babysitting. I let out a loud whistle to draw his attention. _Nari_, he thought before running towards us.

"Thank goodness I found you," he said with a sigh, jumping onto the rooftop.

"Want to fill me in on the mission?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me. Kankuro nodded and sat down next to me. Now I had a sand brother on either side. Kankuro told me about his part of the mission since they were forced to split up. He didn't really know what had happened with the other two.

"What's he reading?" Kankuro whispered as if Gaara couldn't hear it anyway.

"Nothing for your eyes," I answered. He frowned. _She's picking favorites_, he noticed. "No offense, but I can guarantee Gaara isn't going to share. I can't have that same certainty with you."

"Excuses. It doesn't matter. I've never been fond of reading anyway." I shrugged and stared at the clouds. I could've been reading a different scroll but I thought one was enough for the week. We sat in contentment for the rest of the day. The only disturbance was Kankuro's constant fiddling with Crow but that was easily ignored. Later that night, Temari found us and we accompanied her to a hotel.

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**Thanks for reading. The next one is much more involved with Gaara than this one was.**


	15. The Cuffs

**So, I finally caught up to Shippuden and I finished the Kazekage retrieval arc. Spoiler Alert: thank God Granny Chiyo resurrected Gaara. I was so flipping worried. Anyway, here's your dose of Nari. **

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Temari and Kankuro were not slow to notice my favoritism to their younger brother. In fact, that night in the hotel, they said Gaara and I should share the one bed bedroom since Gaara didn't sleep and I probably wouldn't. I didn't have anything against it. I knew, deep within myself, we'd just end up on the roof, staring at the moon. Gaara didn't protest either.

Just as I suspected, around midnight, we retired to the roof. I laid on my back, fidgeting with my bracelets. It was starting to become a habit of mine whenever Gaara was around. They weren't tight enough that they hurt or rubbed against the skin, but they weren't loose enough that they didn't constantly draw my attention to them. Their thickness made them awkward looking, more like cuffs than anything else. But they were excellent for blocking blows. No matter what anyone did to them, they didn't chip or crack. I was sure that the only one who could take them off of me was Gaara.

I felt Gaara's eyes on my jittery hands. "You don't like them," he assumed, but made no move to release their hold over me. I didn't respond. Agreeing might upset him, denying might give him the idea that I felt more for him than I did. He was a curiosity, a marvel. Perhaps a friend. At least, that's what I told myself.

"They don't disappear when I take nine-tailed fox form," I said instead. That had bothered me. Unlike everything else I wore, they didn't vanish when I shape-shifted. In fact, they just shrunk to accommodate the new size of my wrists. I felt Gaara's eyes shift down to my ankles. I didn't know why but I was hypersensitive to everything he did to grant me attention. "Don't even think about it," I snapped, but it was too late. Two new cuffs formed around my ankles.

I sighed as I sat up to look at them, wondering what kanji he had there now. On the top side of the right one, was the kanji for courage and the bottom had the kanji for hatred. On the left one, there was the kanji for surrounded and the underneath was the kanji for pain. "Antonyms," I muttered. "Is this your way of claiming me?" He stared at me incredulously.

"Like a pet?" he asked. I puffed at my bangs.

"No, not like a pet," I answered, slightly irked. "At least, it better not be like that otherwise I _will_ find a way to get these things off." I was _not_ an _animal._ I was a _demon_. An intelligent, independent _demon._ Or half-breed, as I had recently discovered. "Like a comrade," I said in a slightly kinder tone. I watched his eyes narrow. "Gaara," I called. He refused to answer me, possibly not knowing why he had done it himself. I let out a low breathe and rubbed the anklets. They would take a little more time to get used to.

"You haven't hunted in awhile," he commented after about an hour of silence. Gaara, for whatever reason, always volunteered to watch me when I went on a hunt in Suna. Personally, I thought he liked watching me eat my prey. That fascinated him. Temari and Kankuro were more than willing to comply. They weren't particularly found of watching me rip jack rabbits to shreds.

"I could go now," I replied. "It will be harder to find game at this time of night but I'll manage." Gaara nodded but neither of us made a move to leave.

"Can you truly read minds?" he finally stated. _Ah, so he's thinking about the scroll. _He hadn't been able to finish it but I had offered for him to keep it until he was done. I wanted him to know. I liked having someone who understood me.

"Yes."

"Can you read mine?"

"No. I believe it is because you carry Shukaku. I cannot read Naruto's mind either. I must not be able to read the minds of demons and since you're in the same body…" He nodded. "Do you want me to explain it in more depth?" Another nod. "I can read anyone's mind asides from those like yours. I also have the ability to dull the noise of all the minds around me unless a person is thinking directly about me. Them, I cannot block out. I also have the ability to dig through people's memories and bring certain ones to the surface. That is as close as I can get to communicating with them."

"Your range?"

"From this point, I can read all the minds in Konoha asides from those on the far wall." We were towards the back, right corner of the city. Close to the center but far enough away from it that I couldn't hear the thoughts of people on far, left wall.

"What are Temari and Kankuro thinking about?"

"Dreaming about," I corrected him softly. "Anyway, I'm not going to answer that. It's none of our business. If they want us to know, that is their doing." Gaara glared at me for a second but then went back to his usual emotion-drained look and peered at the moon. It was a crescent shape, whether waxing or waning, I didn't know.

"The Hokage knows," he said. I confirmed his suspicion. "Then you are also a spy, not just an ambassador."

"Yes. There are many things I'll be keeping an eye on and playing a part in. I plan on being a very influential force in Suna's politics by the time I leave." I thought his lips curved down for a moment but it must have been my imagination. Gaara stood suddenly. I didn't like how I couldn't read his every emotion and thought. It meant he could surprise me. But that's why he was a dangerous and why he peeked my curiosity.

"Come. You should hunt," he stated. I complied, shifting into beast form. I had left my staff in my room. I growled slightly as I felt the weight on my ankles. I kicked my back legs but there was nothing I could do. I'd just have to deal with them. Gaara headed in the direction of the wall and I followed. We came across a sentry but, upon seeing Gaara, he let us pass. He had heard of Gaara's immense powers and didn't want to challenge him.

I loved hunting at night. The redhead was the best to hunt with, too. He was silent as we moved about. I didn't have to worry about him scaring off any prey. My mind scanned the area ahead of me, looking for larger game than rabbits. Now that there was a variety, I was going to get something tastier. The instincts of a boar came to mind. He was tearing up the earth, looking for grubs.

My tails twitched in anticipation as I crept low to the ground. The tall grass allowed sufficient cover as I approached. Then, I let myself be seen. I was in the mood for a chase. There was no way the boar could out-run me. I had much better endurance and speed. I didn't worry about him charging, either. I could avoid the tusks and even if he did get me, I'd just heal.

The boar saw me and considering an attack until I let out a low growl. He turned tail and fled. I was a predator and he knew it. I ran after him with expert speed. My tails flapped behind me, letting the wind carry them. I caught up to the beast and pounced, taking him down with sharp precision. My teeth buried themselves around his upper spine and I snapped it between my jaws. His head thrashed about, the rest of his body paralyzed. I went for his lower neck next, ripping out his trachea. In a few moments, he bled out and died.

My body was only about the size of a large wolf so I couldn't pick my prey up. Suddenly, I felt my body grew larger so I could wrap my jaws around the thick neck. Gaara was used to this but this time he intervened. "If a sentry were to see you like this, they'd panic," he explained as he took the boar. I was at least twice his size. I deflated slightly but shrunk down to a smaller form without complaint. We leapt back to our hotel and he laid the boar on the roof for me.

I shook my front legs, rattling the bracelets, before I delved into the meal. I ripped open his guts and began devouring any flesh I came in contact with. Nine-tailed foxes had strong stomachs. We could digest almost anything. It took me the rest of the night to eat the boar. That's why I didn't hunt often anymore. I wasn't as hungry and my meals lasted a long time. I hadn't even gotten to the bones when the sun began to rise.

Gaara left me to check on his siblings. I didn't mind. I finished licking the bones clean when Temari appeared in front of me. "Can I talk to you?" she asked. I lifted my head and nodded, gesturing to the extra spot next to me. She wanted to talk about her brother. She felt protective over Gaara and she wanted to know what was going on between us. She saw the new cuffs on my ankles and went to inspect them.

"They're the antonyms of the originals," she stated. I nodded, cracking a bone open with my teeth. "Nari, can I talk to you in human form?" I considered the proposition for a moment before deciding to clean the blood off first. She didn't complain and waited, slightly impatiently, for me to change.

"What's bothering you?" I always made sure to ask these pointless questions. I didn't want someone to accidentally stumble upon my gift.

"What do you feel towards Gaara?" she began, straight to the point, as always. I liked Temari because of that. She was blunt and didn't waste time.

"I'm very interested by him. He presents to me an unusual challenge and raises many questions for me."

"Is that all? Are you… drawn to him?" I cocked my head to the side, considering that for a minute or so.

"Yes. As I said, he interests me. I wish to be near him so that I might observe his activities. And I want to help him learn how to live. I wish to be someone he confides his secrets in so that I can understand the complex structure of his mind. He's very… endearing." She shook her head. That wasn't what she meant. I was expecting her next words but they still took me aback.

"Do you have an infatuation for him?" I hesitated before answering. My mind screamed no but my heart cried a different tune. Which one to believe?

"I am developing feelings towards him," I admitted. "But I do not believe it to be an infatuation. Perhaps a friendship bond of sorts." _So she's going to need a push, too_, she thought. _I knew Gaara was but I had hoped that she'd be slightly easier to deal with._ "I don't think either of us have the emotional capacity for something more," I told her, trying to crush that idea. She thought Gaara and I might become _more_ than friends. The very idea was disturbing. I couldn't see either of us being that close to somebody.

"Oh, okay…" she muttered, trying to conceal her true intentions. "Being his older sister, I had to ask. I couldn't have you hurting him or forcing yourself on him."

"Of course," I agreed, to not arouse suspicion. Even though we were now in my village, the sand siblings still felt responsible to watch after me. Temari sat with me as I ate the bone marrow. Unbeknownst to her, I was listening in on the strange conversation Gaara and Kankuro were having as they sat at breakfast in a small restaurant.

_"So_,_" Kankuro started. "What do you think of Nari, Gaara?" Gaara didn't reply, deciding to eat his breakfast. Kankuro sighed in frustration. _He probably would've responded to Temari_, the middle sibling thought grudgingly. "Do you like her?" _

_"Why?" Gaara finally said. _

_"Well, you guys spend a lot of time together and you talk with her more than anyone else. And I saw those bracelets you gave her. That was kind of you. What were they for, anyway? Was it her birthday or something?" Gaara shook his head, his messy hair shaking about. "Then why?" He refused to give him an answer. "Will you at least tell me what you think of her?"_

_"She is strange and too inquisitive for her own good. She needs to be watched. She is a threat." _Well, that's something,_ Kankuro congratulated himself._

_"Do you think of her as a friend?" A frown touched Gaara's lips. _

_"A companion, perhaps."_

_"Nothing else?"_

_"No." The short reply was curt and had a tone of finality. Gaara was done talking. Kankuro decided not to push him any further and let it be. _

"Nari, have you ever dated someone?" Temari asked randomly. I choked on a piece of bone.

"N-no… Have you?" I imagined she had. Temari was pretty and her flirtatious side was very alluring. I had seen it only a couple of times while in Suna.

"Yeah… I was just wondering. You don't really seem the type. No offense."

"None taken. I'm not."

"Has anyone ever asked you out?" I shook my head.

"I'm not normally around long enough to allow them to develop such emotions. I'm not really one to stay in one place for long, or to commit to something."

"You know, wearing those bracelets all the time makes it seem like you've committed yourself to Gaara." I frowned at that and gave her an annoyed glare.

"I can't take them off," I said hotly. "Trust me, I don't have a choice."

"You don't like them?"

"I wouldn't really care either way but the fact that I don't have a choice but to wear them irks me. He could've asked for permission before putting cuffs on me."

"I think they're neat." I shrugged.

"I suppose, as far as sand bracelets go. They're chakra-infused to so they don't break or chip. That's also how they grow and shrink as I change forms."

"At least he didn't make you a collar," she giggled, amused by my irritation.

"Don't give him the idea," I growled. "I'm not a pet."

"Of course not," she laughed. "I couldn't imagine…" Inwardly, Temari was dying from amusement. She found my predicament "hilarious".

"Do you want anything else?" I snapped.

"I'm sorry," Temari apologized, stroking my hair. I flinched away from the unfamiliar display of affection. She hesitated, confused, until I relaxed again. Then she continued to smooth my black hair back. "Has no one ever done this to you before?"

"No," I admitted. _Great, so both of them are clueless when it comes to physical affection. We have a lot of work ahead of us,_ she told herself, thinking of her and Kankuro's plan to bring Gaara and I together as a couple. We sat in silence as she pondered over the details of her plan. She didn't notice as Kankuro approached.

"We're switching," he stated randomly, talking to Temari. "I watched Gaara yesterday. It's your turn." His arms were crossed. He hadn't enjoyed his breakfast. Kankuro was normally in good humor. To see him so upset and not having been arguing with Temari was weird…

"Fine," Temari responded. "That just means you have to help Nari dispose of the bones." The eldest of the siblings pointed to my piles of bone fragments. One was depleted of bone marrow. The other I hadn't touched. Kankuro moaned but didn't say anything as he came to replace Temari as she stood. The elder kunoichi left us with a satisfied smirk.

"How long am I going to have to watch you eat that stuff?" Kankuro whined.

"I'm full," I mollified him. "And don't worry; there's a dumpster on the side of the building. We can just kick the bones down there." Kankuro helped me shove the piles to the edge of the roof and watched as they tumbled into the dumpster. Lucky for us, none of them missed the bin.

"So… What are we going to do today?" he began as we slid back into my hotel room through the window. I grabbed my staff and shrugged. "Why do you carry that stick around?" he demanded. A smile touched my lips.

"Why don't we go to the training grounds and I can show you? You tweaked up Crow yesterday, right?" Kankuro nodded and followed me as I led him to the training area. Before I took my stance, I meditated to try and gauge my chakra levels. They were around seventy-five percent. I had been up for the last four days but I hadn't done much. Usually, my chakra stopped being explosive when I reach forty percent. My forty percent was probably equivalent to Kankuro's one hundred percent.

_Alright, so keep your distance in the beginning so you don't kill him_, I told myself. "Are you ready?" I said aloud, taking my stance. He spun Crow out of the bandages and got into a ready position. I guessed he didn't feel like using Black Ant. I infused my chakra with my staff to make the wood more durable and then waited for his attack.

Kankuro was at a great disadvantage. Not only would his poison wear off extremely fast thanks to my high metabolism, but I also knew every move before he got the chance to execute it. Just to give him a break, I allowed Crow to get close to me, that way I could prove that the curved "stick" in my possession was not useless.

A loud crack resounded around the training ground, causing other shinobi to turn towards us. I had hit Crow so hard that his arm dislocated from the rest of his body and fell to the ground. But I knew it was far from out of commission. Kankuro could still control it if he wished. I jumped out of the way as Crow's main body came after me. I tried to focus on Kankuro's thoughts as the bystanders' attention was beginning to distract me. _She's fast_, Kankuro observed as I disappeared.

"Nine-tailed replication jutsu," I breathed. My clone didn't need instructions as she replaced me on the battle field. I snuck around back, hoping to catch Kankuro off guard. He didn't suspect a thing.

"Behind you!" someone shouted as I lunged out of the shrubbery. I hissed and shot a glare at the young boy as I was forced to evade Crow instead of attack.

"Focus, Konahamaru," an older ninja told the boy. "You mustn't distract the combatants as they fight. Simply observe their techniques." _Yeah, Konahamaru_, I snarled inwardly.

_So she can produce clones, huh?_ Kankuro had never witnessed me perform any jutsu other than those involving wind. I had decided, since I was in the Land of Wind, I should perfect my wind technique. I had even managed to learn a few new jutsu. I rejoined my clone on the opposite side of Kankuro and waited for him to strike again.

"She's toying with you, Kankuro," a monotone voice pointed out. I quickly glanced at Gaara and Temari as they joined in observing the battle. I guessed my focus on Kankuro was having the desired effect since I hadn't heard their approach.

"You've fought her before?" he shouted back to his brother.

"Yes."

"And?"

"She has the ability to kill me." _I'm screwed,_ Kankuro realized, but he didn't give up.

"Why are you toying with me?" he asked instead.

"Because I enjoy the game," I answered sincerely. He grimaced and sent the lone arm of Crow after me. I pretended not to notice the oncoming assailant until the last minute, when I raised my staff and deflected it. My clone decided it was time to go on the offensive. She charged ferociously. To bad for her, Crow caught up to her. He stabbed into her left hip. The yelp was ear-splitting and I cringed away.

_That wasn't very smart,_ I reprimanded her.

_I know. This is supposed to be your opening._ I opened me eyes in realization as Kankuro was preoccupied trying to keep who he thought was the real Nari at bay. I lunged at him, wrestling him to the ground with a kunai shoved against his throat. Suddenly, a sharp pang ran through my head as my clone died from Crow's constant beating. "Don't even try it," I hissed as Kankuro went to set Crow after me while he thought I was distracted.

Audible exclamations were heard around the training ground as they realized the nine-tailed fox had just been a clone. They couldn't understand how it had managed to take a blow without disappearing. _Welcome to my special technique_, I told them silently. "I'm waiting for you to admit defeat," I stated when Kankuro just laid there.

"Oh. Yeah… You won." I nodded, pleased, and stood. "What kind of jutsu was that?" he inquired, referring to the clone.

"It is my hidden technique. I shall not share it with you." He understood. He enjoyed having a couple of tricks up his sleeve too. "So do you still believe my staff is a burden?" He shook his head, a smiling touching his lips.

"I'd hate to be hit with that thing," he admitted. I smirked triumphantly.

"I would like to fight you," a green clad ninja told me, walking over. _Could it be? Rock Lee?_

"Lee," a kunoichi behind him complained. "You're supposed to be taking it easy."

"But Tenten, who knows when I might have the chance to face such a formidable foe again?"

"I agree," I added in. "I've heard quite impressive things about you, Rock Lee. Is it true that you managed to find away around Gaara's defense?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gaara's eyes narrow.

"Not all of it, but I did manage to out maneuver his sand for a time."

"Then I would be thrilled to spar with you. If your friend allows it." We both stared at Tenten with pleading eyes. She sighed in defeat.

"Fine but Guy-sensei better not blame it on me." _If this girl's with the sand ninja I doubt Lee's going to be able to beat her. Especially since he's not fully recovered._ Lee took a ready position across from me.

"A taijutsu user," I realized. "There are very few. This will be a delightful match indeed. Would you like me to dispose of my nin and genjutsu for the duration of our spar?"

"I would not force you to. You may find need of it."

"I'm sure," I responded happily. _He has to be insanely fast to get around Gaara's sand. _Once Lee realized I would not attack first, he came after me. I threw my staff to the sidelines and went to block him. I loved hand-to-hand combat.

_Wrist and ankle weights,_ Lee thought, observing Gaara's gifts. _She, too, does not use her full speed and yet she was able to block my attack. Most impressive._ "You're fast," I praised him, although I was more than capable of blocking his moves. "But you'll have to be faster than that if you wish to overpower me." I changed to an offensive stance and went after him. It was all Lee could do to evade me. Of course, it helped that I was reading his mind.

"Then I shall not go easy on you any longer," he claimed, jumping away to retake his former stance. I saw him concentrate hard as he opened his first chakra gate. I had never been taught such techniques. In all honesty, I probably didn't need them.

"Don't push yourself, Lee," Tenten called from the sidelines. The other ninja in the training area watched silently, fascinated by my display of prowess. Lee came at me again and, all of a sudden, his attacks were just as fast as his thoughts. No longer could I remain one step ahead of me. Now it was all _I_ could do to evade _him_.

"Gods, you're fast," I repeated merrily, while going for a low strike. "I've never met anyone who could out-spar me," I explained as he parried the blow.

"You are fast as well. I have not met a ninjutsu user with such speed."

"You should see me when I'm well-rested." Lee wasn't expecting me to drop and kick at his legs. He fell under the impact and came crashing to ground. I leapt over top of him pinned his throat to the ground with one hand. It was one of my animalistic instincts. Always go for the throat. "But I do believe you're recovering from an illness?"

"I am still having a difficult time after my spar with Gaara. He is an unparalleled opponent." I couldn't have agreed more. I jumped off Lee and helped him to his feet.

"I hope we cross paths again, Rock Lee. I'd very much enjoy seeing you at full strength."

"As I would enjoy seeing you. You should learn to open your chakra gates. It would make you an even greater taijutsu master."

"I have enough energy as it is," I muttered as Kankuro and Temari shook their heads at the idea of me having more. "It would probably be detrimental to everyone involved if I did that." I rubbed at my wrists with a sheepish grin on my face.

"Understood. Farewell." He gave me a passionate salute before being dragged away by his teammate.

"He went easy on you," Temari claimed as he disappeared from view.

"I went easy on him," I retorted. "I think, in reality, we'd be equal in taijutsu. Of course, using my regular arsenal of jutsu, I'm sure I'd be able to overcome him with ease." I caught Gaara nodding in agreement.

"Are you tired yet, Nari?" she asked instead of continuing the conversation.

"Are you kidding me? I'm just getting warmed up." I saw a bead of sweat drip down her forehead. Gaara stepped out from the crowd. I was refocusing my mind reading on Temari so that I could block out the witnesses. They found me exciting to observe. I pursed my lips but nodded at Gaara's challenge. _You can handle this,_ I told myself.

I retrieved my staff and took on a ready position. Gaara crossed his arms arrogantly. I knew, with him, I'd have to strike first. The issue with Gaara was that most of his attacks killed instantly. There was no incapacitating your opponent. I performed one of my earth jutsu, silently thanking that deceased rogue. My chakra exploded slightly, destroying the grass, but I didn't worry about it as I slid into the earth.

_She knows earth jutsu_, I heard Temari exclaim. Once safe underground, I performed a shadow clone jutsu, producing two clones. I sent these clones after Gaara's legs while I went behind him. They reached up and grabbed his ankles. His sand immediately went to stop the attackers while I popped up to land a kick. Before I could come in contact with his back, the cuffs around my limbs squeezed tightly, making me drop to the ground.

"Cheater," I hissed as my clones disappeared and my wrists and ankles began to crack under the pressure. I fell to my knees and curled up on myself. I realized then that they hadn't been gifts but chains. I felt a pang of betrayal at that revelation. Apparently, he didn't trust me not to kill him.

"What's he doing, Nari?" Kankuro asked, unable to see how the cuffs were shattering my bones. I held up one wrist. My hand was blue, the circulation being cut off. I clenched my teeth to hold back the screams struggling to escape. Suddenly, the pressure was gone. I sighed in relief and pushed myself to my feet. Before anyone could come to check on me, I gave the redhead a heated glare and fled into the forest.

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**Thank you so much for reading and please review. The next chapter will be up soon.**


	16. Condemned

**I apologize for how long it's taking for the Gaara X O.C. to start up but I believe that it's important to establish a friendship before a relationship, especially for these two. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews and enjoy!**

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"You're coming off," I told the chains hotly, sawing at them with a chakra-infused kunai. I was sitting up in a tree a few yards outside of Konoha. My sandals and staff were laying on the ground below me. In the past half hour, I had only managed to cut myself. The bones were resetting nicely but it would've helped if I stopped slicing my arm open.

I switched my tactics around and shoved the kunai between my wrist and bracelet. Then I tugged hard, hoping it popped off. I was successful in ripping the bracelet but, as soon as the kunai was out of the way, the bracelet reformed. Suddenly, I launched the weapon at a floating eyeball. The last person I wanted to see was Gaara, or his third eye. The orb crumbled into sand and disappeared. That's when the cuffs tightened so that there was no room between my skin and their gritty surface.

"If Gaara doesn't want you to take them off, you're not going to get them off," a calm voice, which I recognized as Kankuro's, said.

"Watch me," I barked, pulling out a new kunai. I positioned the point over the kanji for fear, where it was weakest, and pounded on it repeatedly to no avail. Kankuro watched from below for an hour until he decided enough was enough.

"Nari, all you've managed to do is tear your wrist apart. Let's go back." I huffed and threw the kunai at the trunk of the tree. Then I pulled my knees up and wrapped my arms around them. All my life I had been free and then some stupid kid comes in and thinks he has the right to restrain me? Well, screw him. "Are you really going to punish me, too? I want lunch."

"You don't have to watch me, you know." I pointed to my Konoha headband. "I'm in my village." Kankuro didn't care. He wanted me join him and the siblings for lunch. I pulled up the memory of what he had found me eating this morning.

"Look, you're either coming with me or I'll get Gaara to drag you. Is that what you want?"

"You wouldn't dare…"

"I would." I puffed at my bangs and jumped down from my perch. I slipped my sandals on and picked up my staff. Then I whacked Kankuro in the back of the head with it. That should teach him not to threaten me. "You have a nasty temper," he commented.

"You haven't seen me angry," I remarked and it was true. When I got angry, people died. Kankuro didn't believe me though. "Let's go." He followed me back to the hotel. I walked in through the front door like a normal person and was surprised to see Kakashi there. "Hello, Kakashi," I greeted my old acquaintance.

"It's good to see you again, Nari. I was beginning to suspect that we'd have to hunt you down as a rogue. It's nice to know that's not the case."

"Never a rogue. I wasn't, technically, a ninja anymore. But I know you're not here for idle chit-chat. What do you want?"

"The Hokage wants to see you in her office. Along with a set of scrolls? She said you'd know what she meant." I narrowed my eyes. What did Tsunade want with my scrolls?

"Thank you, Kakashi." He turned to leave. "How are Naruto and Sakura doing?" I asked before he could disappear.

"They'll be alright," he assured me and then took off. I walked up the steps to mine and Gaara's hotel room.

"You're not going to accompany me to the Hokage's office," I told Kankuro. My tone showed that there would be no disputing the issue. Luckily, he got the hint. I knocked before opening the door but did not wait to be permitted entrance. I calmed myself, putting a barricade between my emotions and my expressions. I knew that Temari and Gaara were on the other side.

"Oh, Nari!" Temari exclaimed with some delight. She thought I might not return until late at night. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," I said serenely. I glanced at Gaara who was busying reading the scroll I needed. "Gaara, may I have my scroll back?" I requested pleasantly. The only sign that our little fight had occurred was the blood stains on my wrist. He glanced up at me but hesitated to comply. "Lady Hokage wants me to bring it with me when I go meet her. I'm leaving now." He made no move to hand it over.

"Gaara, give her, her scroll back," Temari hissed. He glanced at her before rolling the scroll back up and handing it over.

"Thank you." I placed it back into my weapon's pouch and then left the way I came. There wasn't anything else I had to say to any of them.

"I think you wounded her pride," Kankuro stated when he thought I was far enough away.

"She'll live," was Gaara's short reply. _This is going to take a while,_ the puppet master thought. _If it even works… _I didn't want to hear any more so quickly focused on a different mind, Lady Tsunade's. She was sitting in her office, waiting for me. With her was the head of the Hyuuga family. She wanted him to inspect my chakra levels and flows to see just how dangerous I really was. She also wanted to have any additional information my set of scrolls presented.

"I already know what you want," I informed her as I walked in after being granted permission. "You can look at my chakra system all you want; that doesn't bother me. But I refuse to allow you to read my scrolls. They're not for your eyes." The Hyuuga was slightly surprised by my directness but didn't comment. His face was stoic.

"Fair enough," she muttered. _She has her own reasons for not sharing. _"Hiashi, please," she gestured to me. Hiashi focused his attention on me and activated his Byakugan. His eyes widened, incredulous to what they presented. My chakra levels at half their maximum power and I was almost equal to him at his full. "Well?"

"Lady Hokage, the massive amounts of chakra she contains is strange for one her size and age. She has a much more complex chakra system and a cloud of chakra surrounds her. If I was to guess, I'd say she's not human," Hiashi analyzed. "Are you fully rested?" he asked me.

"No. I just finished sparing with some genin and I've not slept in four days. My chakra is depleted to about half of what I have when awakening."

"Then it is no surprise that small explosions might occur when she releases a nin or genjutsu." I pushed back a loose strand of my midnight hair and nodded in agreement.

"What about a blast with a fifty yard radius?"

"It is possible with the use of an explosive jutsu."

"Thank you, Hiashi. You are dismissed." Lady Tsunade studied me for a moment, glad that she had decided to send me away instead of keep me around. I was too much of a liability. Sure, I was powerful, but the risk of losing more ninja was too great to take. "Suna has accepted you as an ambassador. Here is your passport and identification card. I'm under the impression that they had you tailed during the day?" I bobbed my head. "They've agreed to allow you to walk freely since you are no longer a lone ninja. You, too, are dismissed."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage." I then did as I was bid, wanting to rest. Fortune smiled upon me because none of the sand siblings were present when I returned to the hotel. I put the scroll I was agreeing to let Gaara borrow on top of the single dresser and laid my staff and pouch down next to the mat. I laid down and closed my eyes, focusing on the dreams of a lazy merchant down the hall. Soon enough, I was asleep.

►§◄

_I walk down the dark hallway slowly. On either side of me are doors. I try to open one but it is locked. Above each door is a symbol. I can tell that they are kanji but I cannot decipher them. Suddenly, I hear a click as a door opens. I turn towards the sound and watch, awed, as bright light floods the end of the hallway._

_My eagerness to reach this door is unparalleled. I rush towards it and am about to go through when the door shuts violently in my face. I stumble back, confused and hurt. I look towards the top of the door. The kanji reads…_

"Nari, wake up already!" I jolted up, heart pounding. I glared at Temari as she continued to shake me.

"What do you want?" I demanded hotly, a little upset that she had woken me. I wanted to know what that kanji had said, what was on the other side.

"We're going to go help teach at the academy. Then we're going to leave."

"This late?" I asked, incredulous.

"Nari, it's morning. You slept all through the night."

"Seriously?" I barely felt as though I had rested at all. I was still tired and normally only an hour or two of sleep was enough. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my chakra levels. Sure enough, they were full. "Um… Okay. Wait, you don't mean you want _me_ to teach at the academy, do you?"

"Yes." She drawled out the word to make sure I got the point. She wasn't going to admit it to anyone but the only reason she had agreed herself was because Shikamaru had asked it as a favor. _She's crushing on him_, I realized. I glanced up and peered around my surroundings. Gaara was with us but Kankuro was nowhere to be found. I opened up my thoughts and searched for his mind. He was already at the academy. Surprisingly, he sincerely enjoyed teaching kids.

"I don't think that's a good idea. How about I scout our path and meet you guys when you're done." Temari glared at me.

"Nari, we're not asking you to teach them jutsu or anything. These are going to be simple lessons on ninja basics. Perhaps even some weaponry."

"Temari, I've never been to the academy. I don't know the ninja basics and the only weapon I'm any good at is my staff." Her mouth formed a small "o". _Right, she was raised by rogues_, the eldest sand sibling reminded herself.

"Well, I'm sure you could help with math."

"Math?" I saw in her head a series of foreign symbols.

"Numbers, Nari. You know about numbers, don't you?"

"Of course. One, two, three, four… I can count. But what's math?"

"Adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing." The look I received was incredulous. _Surely, she's been taught at least simple math. _

"Adding…," I muttered, rubbing my head sheepishly. "That's like two plus two equals four, right? What are the other three?" Temari sighed. _And she's Konoha's ambassador…_ I blushed a little, shrugging my shoulders.

"Alright, you can scout for us. We're just going to take the main road."

"Okay… Will you be done around noon?"

"Probably." I nodded and stretched as Temari stood. My eyes instinctively trailed to Gaara, who was watching me with a cold gaze. I raised an eyebrow but didn't get a response. When his sister left, he remained, studying me. _He'll catch up,_ the girl thought, leaving us to ourselves.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked, fixing my hair and headbands. Silence. I put my sandals on and stood, smoothing out my skirt. I bent over and retrieved my staff before staring at him, waiting for some hint of what he was thinking. "You know, a response would be nice."

"…" I glanced over at the dresser and saw my pouch. I quirked an eyebrow at that, distinctly remember putting it by my mat. That's when I figured out the message he was trying to get across.

"Which one did you steal?" I asked, walking over and counting the pouch's contents. I was missing "Important Information". Knowing he wasn't going to say anything, I quickly explained that I didn't care if he read the scrolls. I trusted him with the information. "I probably should worry though. I mean, you never stop talking," I mumbled sarcastically. I waited for some hint of amusement. He shook his head.

I turned my back on him to reposition the pouch and heard the door open and close. "You better be quick, Gaara," I said to the air. "Teamri's waiting on you." I walked down stairs soon after. The desk clerk told me that Temari had already checked us out so I decided to eat breakfast before going out to scout.

"Hello, Veske," I called out, hearing the thoughts of the ninja tailing me. I was walking down the main street, studying the different restaurants for one that appealed to me.

"That didn't take long," he observed, revealing himself. "Are you hungry?"

"A little," I admitted. "I'll be departing soon but I wanted to have breakfast first."

"On a mission?"

"Of sorts…" He knew better than to ask for details.

"Why don't you eat here? They have the best fishcakes," Veske offered, pointing to a small kiosk. I walked over and ordered a plate of fishcakes. He came up next to me and ordered the same, promising to pay for my meal. That I hadn't expected. During my time in Suna, I had acquired a small collection of coins doing odd jobs. It wasn't much but it was more than enough to pay for my own meal.

"Thank you," I told him. We waited for our food and then he said goodbye, saying he was needed elsewhere. He also wished me good luck on my mission. _That was strange_, I declared_, but kind. He didn't have to feed me._ Last time, as far as I knew, Veske hadn't liked me at all. This time, he wanted to help. Even he wasn't sure why.

I pushed the strange occurrence from my thoughts and headed to the gate. I ate my fishcakes by the wall, not paying any attention to the sentries, before walking along the path. Heightening my senses with chakra and scanning the area with my mind, I quickly discovered that the passageway was clear. All I had to do now was wait.

Trees were my preferred resting area. I jumped into a high branch and leaned against the trunk. I was in perfect position to see anyone who exited the village. I closed my eyes to better enjoy the sunny day, but soon fell back into sleep.

_I am standing in the same hallway as before. It is still dark and every door I try is locked. I hear a door click open and stare at the blinding light, but do not head towards it. I do not want to feel the pain of it slamming in my face. I turn away from the door and walk the opposite way. _

_"You're going the wrong way," an annoyed voice tells me. I search the hallway but find no source for the sound. That's when I glance down at my wrists. The cuffs are there, squeezing tighter with every step I take away from the open door. They hurt and, finally, I am forced to turn around._

_I see Gaara standing just in front of the white light. His arms are crossed and his face is washed of emotions. I smile gleefully, glad that there is someone here to help me out of this hallway. I start running towards him. He waits for me and when I'm only a few feet away, he turns and walks into the room. I follow after him but the door slams shut before I can go in. _

_"No! No! Let me in!" I cry, pounding at the door. Tears begin to stream down my face. I fall to the ground and watch as my cuffs begin to extend and the sand wraps around me. It engulfs my body and crushes me._

I bolted awake, shaken. I couldn't get over what I had seen. Gaara and the kanji above the door. The kanji… for love.

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**I'm sure you all realize what this means but does Nari? You'll have to wait a few more chapters to see. As always, thanks for reading and please review.**


	17. Math and Imposters

**This is mostly a filler chapter but I hope you enjoy!**

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"Are you alright, Nari? You look as though you're in pain." I glanced back and stared at Kankuro, who was walking towards me with Temari and Gaara in tow.

"I'm fine," I reassured him with a smile. "I just can't believe I fell asleep twice in the same day. I mean, it's happened before but…"

"Not since you're chakra levels have increased."

"Right." _I can't believe she fell back asleep either, _Temari thought. _Of course, she didn't seem well rested when I woke her up this morning._ I jumped down from my tree and joined them as we started on our journey. Kankuro asked if the road was clear and I responded with a yes. No one said anything until we reached the first road sign.

"So, Nari," the eldest sibling started with the intentions of testing my math. "The trip from Konoha to Aburan is roughly eighty miles. This sign says we still have fifty miles to go. How many miles have we traveled?" I closed my eyes and thought about it but the answer, preceded by strange symbols, popped into her head much faster.

"Thirty miles?" I mumbled to myself. I saw thirty dots in my head and added fifty to them. Then I counted the dots out. Yes, it was eighty miles. _But how did she do it so fast?_ "Thirty miles," I said a little louder. She nodded, pleased, and we continued on.

_What was that all about?_ Kankuro wondered. Gaara said nothing but I felt the left cuff on my wrist constrict. He knew I could steal the answers from Temari's head. "I figured it out on my own," I mouthed to him, a little hotly. He needed to realize that he wasn't a figure of authority to me. He needed to back off. I especially disapproved of the redhead's appearance in my slumber.

A few hours later, we came to another sign. "Alright, Nari. How fast would we have to go to make the same time on the left one if we went five miles per hour on the right one?" I stared at the two signs, not recognizing the symbols next to the letters. Temari did and the answer popped up in her head quite easily. _Ten miles per hour_, she deemed. My eyebrows furrowed together. I was about to admit my incompetence when I saw the meager thought of sending me to the academy slip through her brain.

"Ten miles per hour," I answered confidently. Even Kankuro had come up with that answer. "But why does it matter? Shouldn't we take the left route anyway?"

"That's the Land of Rivers," the kunoichi explained. "They're not very fond of us there. We'll just take the long way around." I shrugged, finding no reason to dispute it. We kept on chugging along. Just as the sun was about to set, we reached the village in which they had agreed to spend the night. They didn't order a room for Gaara and I. We wouldn't be sleeping so there was no need. The desk clerk found this a little strange but said nothing.

We went upstairs and I put my staff and scroll pouch near the door. Gaara and I were about to slip out of the window when Temari called to me. "Nari, would you mind if I tested you a little bit more? So far, it just seems like you don't know the technical terms for mathematical equations but you know how to do real world problems. Can I test that theory further?"

"Um… I guess," I muttered, rubbing the back of my head. In truth, I wasn't very fond of the idea. I sat down next to her as she pulled out a piece of paper and a brush and ink. She put those dreadful, unfamiliar scribbles on the paper. Apparently, the problem was literally right in front of me. I couldn't even read it. I bit my lip and stared at them until I finally gave up. In Temari's head, I saw the answer so I did my best to copy it from her mind onto the page. Just as I was halfway done writing it, the cuff on my right wrist squeezed tightly. I dropped the brush and glared at Gaara.

"You should tell them," he stated stoically.

"You shouldn't tell me what to do," I retorted, a glare marring my features. I didn't like my restraints, nor the control he usurped over me.

"You're lying to Temari."

"It's not lying." Kankuro and Temari glanced between us, worried about the fragile relationship we held.

"What does the paper read, Nari? And try not to think about it, Kankuro, Temari." They, despite being confused, complied and thought of other things. I glanced down at the paper. Technically speaking, I could dig through Temari or Kankuro's minds to find the answer but I refrained. I bit my lip and turned away.

"I don't know," I spat. The eldest sibling glanced at me, betrayal evident in her eyes. Before she could utter a single syllable, I said, "I have the ability to read minds. This is why I was giving the position as ambassador. I am also a spy." I didn't bother to mention that I'd also have a hand in picking the next Kazekage. "The only question I could figure out on my own was the first you gave me. The other answers I drew from your minds."

"Do you mean to say, you know what I'm thinking right now?" the puppet master demanded. I nodded.

"You're incredulous at my revelation but it does make sense. I always seem to know where everyone is, I never seem to pay attention after I ask questions like 'what's wrong'. My prey never eludes me; I always know what to say. My ability to predict you're moves on the practice field and my ability to avoid Rock Lee. My arrogance and inexplicable understanding of life. It makes more sense now." Kankuro swallowed; those were his thoughts exactly.

"That means you know about our plan?" Temari assumed. She was referring to wanting to make a couple out of Gaara and myself. I nodded. Gaara seemed to be expecting an explanation but he received none. "Are there limitations?"

"I can only read those within a certain distance and those farther away are harder to understand. I have to put more focus to read them. I don't have the ability to read Gaara's mind, which makes me assume that I can't read the minds of jinchuriki. I can block out other's thoughts unless they're specifically thinking of me. Then it's like their shouting at me. And I can't communicate with them. I can draw up certain memories to the surface of their mind but I can't project my own thoughts to them."

"That's… a nifty gift," she exclaimed, shocked. I shrugged.

"It's my greatest asset. I'd like to keep it secret, if I may."

"Of course," Kankuro agreed.

"In the meantime," Temari began again. "I'm going to teach you math. Let's begin." As Temari started with the lesson, Gaara went outside and Kankuro went into the bathroom. She only sat with me for a half hour but it was long enough for me. Numbers were weird. I didn't like them at all. Truthfully, the lesson was simple. I could do mathematical equations, it was the symbols that bothered me. Temari actually expected me to write them on the paper. I hadn't even learned to write normal words yet. I could read, but writing was a whole other ball field. Of course, I wasn't going to admit _that_ to my instructor.

I rushed to the roof when she released me, looking forward to the cool, night air. I sat next to Gaara and stared at the stars. For a while, I enjoyed myself in content silence, then I decided it was time to remind the jinchuriki where he stood. He had no authority over me and he shouldn't act like he did.

"Gaara, I'm not a pet." My voice was soft, gentle. I didn't want to hurt him. He didn't respond. "Nor am I a sand ninja. I'm not even human." Again, no response. "What that means, is that you don't have any power over me. You can't boss me around or tell me what to do." I thought a smile touched his lips but I couldn't be sure. "You need to stop acting like you can."

"Nari, the only reason why you're allowed to roam free is because you're a weak demon that hasn't done any harm. Isn't it a kinder fate to be controlled by me than sealed within the body of someone else?" He was monotone, as if he was stating a common fact.

"Is that a threat," I growled. He gave me a small glance before looking at the moon again.

"It's the truth." I wanted to snap at him, but I couldn't. I turned away and glared at the shingles. _But it's not right. No one should have so much power over me! Let alone a genin from a foreign village. _A low sigh escaped my lips.

"I suppose you're correct." _That doesn't dull the pain any, though._ I shifted into beast form, a symbol that I didn't want to discuss the issue further, and laid next to Gaara. He put a hand on my head and we stared up at the sky until dawn came.

I didn't shift back to human form as we reentered the hotel room. I simply used my tails to hold me as I swung in. I went to grab my staff with my jaws but Kankuro was one step ahead of me. He held it in his hand and offered to carry it for me. I nodded in acceptance. I still wasn't in the mood to talk.

We started on our journey again soon after. "What's the matter, Nari?" Temari asked. I had refused food or drink and, to her, was walking faster than normal. I just cocked my head to the side. Was it really so obvious that I was in a bad mood? I had been trying to hide it Then again, it could've been my form change that told her.

"She doesn't like her cuffs," Gaara answered for me. _No, I do not,_ I snapped inwardly.

"Then take them off of her." The jinchuriki shook his head. I hated that blank expression. It was so irritating. Was he enjoying my frustration or not? If I couldn't read his mind he could, at least, have an easy face to read like Naruto's. Then again, if he did, he wouldn't be such a curiosity. He was something I didn't understand, a new puzzle to decipher. That's why I liked him, after all.

I trotted a little ways ahead of the group. We weren't in any rush to get back to Suna so we took our time. Temari and Kankuro were badgering each other about one thing or another when I froze. I smelt intruders. Kankuro and Temari were so absorbed in their conversation that they walked right by but Gaara paused, probably sensing them too. I searched the area for human minds and found them. They attacked but before a single kunai could reach its target, a wall of sand deflected them. Finally, the elder siblings began to assess the situation.

_Gaara and Nari were already aware of them. Why didn't they warn us?_ Temari demanded. I couldn't shift now to explain anything to them. I didn't want to reveal my true self and alert the enemy ninja that I wasn't what I appeared, just in case one of them managed to escape.

"You're a long way from home," the leader said, stepping out with her group. A team of sand ninja appeared. "We were just coming to check on you. Lord Baki wasn't very pleased when you accepted that mission without his consent."

"It's good to see you too, Rena," Kankuro greeted our guest. The leader was a girl, a jounin. Wisps of brown hair escaped from underneath her head covering. She and her companions were dressed in average Suna wear. "You didn't have to attack us, though."

"We were making sure you stay sharp." She glanced over at Gaara and I, the only two prepared for a full out fight. Gaara relaxed and drew his sand back but I held my stance. Her name wasn't Rena, it was Maylou. These three were imposters. They were dismayed that their sneak attack hadn't worked out and were planning to attack again when we rested for the night. _Not going to happen_, I told her silently. She watched me like a hawk and I granted her the same respect.

"Nari, relax," Temari told me, noticing that my hackles were still raised. We started walking again. I stayed close by Kankuro's side. He trusted "Rena" the most and Temari was close enough to Gaara that he could protect her if the need were to arise. I wasn't one hundred percent sure but I didn't think Gaara trusted the newcomers either.

I did my best to lower my hackles but it wasn't working. I was ready for a fight. To try and keep myself from appearing as too big of a threat, I weaved myself back and forth between Kankuro's legs, careful not to trip him. As he and "Rena" were talking, I purposely got in his way. The conversation hadn't been adding up right in his mind. He glanced down at me and I returned his gaze with an urgent look. He nodded, getting the message. So Kankuro wasn't as completely oblivious as I had assumed.

I glanced over at Temari. She, too, was beginning to become suspicious of our escort. She noticed that I had still been unable to relax and the proximity Gaara and I were keeping to the rest of the group. Compared to earlier, and our loner personalities, she easily deduced something was up. A couple hours later, we stopped for the night and set up camp. We were deep in the woods. Temari forced Gaara to help her collect fire wood. I studied their conversation from my spot next to Kankuro, who was rolling out sleeping bags.

_"I want you to pretend to sleep, okay?"_ _Temari muttered. "I don't trust these people." Gaara nodded._ Then they were back in sight. I studied everyone around me as they all laid down. "Nari, are you going to keep watch?" Temari asked. I nodded. She laid down as I sat there, keeping an eye on everything. Around midnight, the imposters began to stir. I studied them as they moved about.

"Those idiots left a fox in charge of watching. What fools," the leader commented, glancing at me from across the fire. Kankuro and Temari were both awake. They knew better than to sleep with enemies at their back. "Now," she ordered her group. Again, Gaara's sand stopped their assail. Both of the elder siblings jumped to their feet and attacked back. The imposters weren't as quick as us.

The sand siblings managed to detain the two followers but Maylou was getting away. _Not on my watch_, I growled. I sprinted after her, slowly growing in size. I didn't need to be very large, I just needed the extra boost of speed. Before long, I was close enough to pounce. I took her down in one blow, snapping her spine between my jaws. She fell to the ground, dead. I dragged the body back to the camp and dropped it before the siblings. They were done battling now. "Good job, Nari," Kankuro told me, as we left the bodies and moved on. The rest of the journey to Suna was uneventful.

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**Thank you for the continual support and for reading. Please review! The next chapter is slightly comical.**


	18. Politics

**This is another filler chapter (sorry), but I found it amusing. I apologize ahead of time for the coarse language towards the end.**

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"We need a new Kazekage before something dire happens," one of the elders stated. I sat there, bored. I hated politics. It was the same things over and over again. Nothing ever seemed to get accomplished in this room. Of course, I knew a lot of things did but it sure didn't feel like it. The constant heat didn't help either.

"Then elect a new," I muttered. This issue, the very one I was sent here for, hadn't gotten any closer to being resolved. Weeks, if not months had passed as I listened to the same complaints, the same troubles. It was annoying.

"It's not that simple," Baki reminded me patiently. He knew me the best and realized that these meetings drained my patience. Someone with the energy to wipe out a village shouldn't be kept in a chair for hours at a time. It was wrong on so many levels. On top of that, I couldn't sleep while I was here either. There was virtually nothing for me to do. Sure, I paid attention to everything going on around me but for someone with my multitasking skills, that wasn't saying much.

"You've not even decided on a selection of candidates. Either let's do that, or move on. Otherwise, we're going to sit here debating over an issue that were not gaining any ground on. It's a waste of time." Others nodded in agreement. Although I wasn't well-liked, many of the leaders of Suna trusted my judgment. I had an unrealistic ability to remove my own emotions from an issue and do what was best for the majority. My opinion just happened to agree with what was best for the majority in most cases.

"There is another issue I've been wanting to present," Baki volunteered. I had been expecting this but I wasn't looking forward to the conversation. Most of Suna still regarded Gaara as an unpredictable monster. Any conversation about him was heated and irritating, especially for those in Gaara's favor. "Gaara wishes to join the regular forces." As if on cue, thousands of protests rang out.

"He's too unpredictable." … "What if he attacks our own men?" … "Only his siblings have ever been able to keep him in check."

"Quiet down, quiet down," the eldest of the leaders ordered. He was highly revered but I found him to be a rotting sack of bones that needed to retire already. "Continue, Lord Baki." Baki nodded and went to explain everything Gaara had told him to justify his request.

"Personally, I don't see why we should deny him. It wouldn't be threatening us anymore than his existence already does." I knew Baki didn't mean to sound like he hated Gaara just as much as the others. In fact, Baki only said that to try to appeal to the mindset of the majority of the group.

"Putting him with our jounin might possibly be the worst move we ever make," Yura, the Secretary of Defense, stated. He continued to argue his position. Many others voiced their concerns afterwards. I was growing bored and weary of this conversation. No, I didn't really care either way but I'd fight for my friend. It was more than he deserved from me, since he still refused to remove my cuffs, but I'd do it.

"A smith does not forge a sword with the intent that it stay in a cabinet because the buyer is too scared to use it," I stated simply when it was my turn.

"But Gaara is a double-edged sword!" one younger member protested. He was older than me, of course, but still young.

"All the best swords are double-edged."

"I wouldn't use a sword that's just as likely to attack me as my foe."

"Then you're a pitiful sword-wielder who has yet to master their weapon. Gaara isn't the little boy who once terrorized the streets at night. In fact, putting Gaara amongst the regular forces might, possibly, be the best thing you could ever do with the boy."

"How so?" Yura demanded.

"To put it simply, when you create the ultimate weapon, you use it in every battle you can, that way you can ensure victory. Not to mention, putting him with other ninja gives him the opportunity to bond with the village. Isolating him was a mistake. It's because of that decision that the child has so many issues now."

"She's only saying that because she likes him," the young one said. I turned on him and held up my cuffs.

"Do you see these? These are chains, placed by the one we speak of now. Most of you haven't even faced him in battle, have no reason to hate him other than that's what you've been taught to do. I _do_ have a reason to hate him. A personal reason. Do you remember why I was given this position? Because I can set aside my person interests and do what's best for the both villages. Putting Gaara on the regular forces is best. Now, if you'll shut your trap and listen, I'll explain why.

"First off, let's look from the position for which he was created: weapon. He _is_ the ultimate weapon, which means he can turn on his wielder if used incorrectly. Therefore the wielder should practice and use him every chance they get, not just when they have no other options. That would make them clumsy and under experienced. That would defeat the purpose and harm them.

"Secondly, let's look at Gaara from a personal perspective. Humans, and make no mistake, he is human, are run by two things." I held up two fingers. "One is that of basic instincts, eat and sleep for most. The other is bonds. At the moment, Gaara has four main bonds. Two with his siblings, one with a genin of Konoha, and the other with me. Gaara regards me as a pet of sorts." Many found that amusing.

"This lack of bonds presents an issue. First and foremost, that makes him easily susceptible to abandon the village. Rogue Gaara would be a nightmare unparalleled. Even I would hesitate before facing that. Secondly, the fact that he has equal ties to either village means, if we were to ever lose Konoha as an ally, we might lose him as well. That would be very problematic."

"But his ties are equal to both villages. Why would he choose Konoha over us?" I smiled softly.

"Because that genin I spoke of earlier, is who taught him about friendship and love to begin with. The only reason why he has ties to Temari and Kankuro, is because of said genin. Before that, he wouldn't hesitate to kill either of them anymore than he would hesitate to kill an enemy ninja. Plus, that genin gives him access to a lot of more bonds. Temari and Kankuro open the door to bond with Baki, that's about it, at this point. But that genin gives him a girl named Sakura, and a boy named Rock Lee. Rock Lee, in turn, opens up the door to Neji Hyuuga, Tenten, and Guy-sensei. All three of which open more doors…" I grinned, pleased, when my message got across. I had been studying the connections of the leaf ninja and the sand ninja for something like this. In my room, I had journals with information on every ninja from both villages.

"And adding Gaara to the regular forces can fix this?" the elder demanded.

"Of course. Putting him into different squads allows him to interact with different ninja on different missions. He'll probably still be shunned but it's your best shot." The leaders thought for a while in silence.

"All in favor of Gaara joining the regular forces," the elder began. Over three quarters of the group raised their hands. "It is decided then," he muttered. "Meeting resolved." I bit back a sigh but was the first one out of my seat. Gods, I hated these stupid meetings.

"Nari, slow down," Baki called after me. I froze and waited. I wanted to get out the stupid white robes I was forced to wear and back into my black outfit. I could train comfortably in that. "Interesting way to put things back there," he complimented me. I nodded. "You don't hate Gaara though, do you?" He had been sure that he had been getting the vibe that I liked the boy very much.

"No, I don't hate him. I just have more than enough reason to. More reason than most of those sorry fools."

"Amen to that, sister," Kankuro commented, appearing from around the corner. "Anyway, I hate to interrupt a good conversation but I kind of need to steal Nari."

"Can't it wait, Kankuro?" I asked. He wanted to make me go eat in a restaurant or something like that. "I've been sitting in a chair all day. I just want move around… and change."

"Those meetings take a lot out of her," Baki backed me up.

"I'm afraid it can't. Besides, those robes seem nice and airy. Better than what you normally wear out in the heat." I couldn't suppress my sigh this time.

"Fine," I muttered, albeit reluctantly. "But that means you have to let me use Crow afterwards." Kankuro went to protest but then grudgingly agreed. I wasn't a very good puppet master, actually I sucked, but Kankuro was putting in a nice effort to teach me. My math lessons, on the other hand, had been discontinued. Not that I was complaining. At least now, I could write and recognize numbers up to one hundred.

Kankuro didn't let me linger any longer and yanked me down stairs and out of the Kazekage building. You'd think I was about to die of starvation with the amount of urgency he had. That's when I realized something else was up. I hadn't been paying close attention and he was doing his best to cover up his true thoughts, but this was a part of his and Temari's plan. This wasn't simply a meal. This was supposed to be a date.

"Kankuro, how many times do I have to tell you guys I'm not interested in Gaara that way? You're worse than politics."

"Then just consider us a different type of politics," he told me. I frowned and soon we arrived at our destination. "Just be yourself, Nari," he assured me. I glared at him as he handed me over to a waitress who, apparently, knew the entire plan. Gaara was already there.

"They managed to nab you too," he stated monotonously. I nodded and sat across from him.

"What would you like?" the waitress asked me.

"Just a glass of water, please," I told her. I wasn't hungry. Gaara already had his meal and ate in silence. I thanked the waitress when she returned with my water and sipped at it casually. I glanced longingly through a small porthole at a couple of kids playing soccer. I'd do anything to be on my feet.

"You just got out of a meeting, didn't you?" the jinchuriki assumed. I nodded.

"I wouldn't be wearing this ridiculous get up if I hadn't. No offense to your village culture or anything. It's just not my thing." He nodded. "So… Do you have any idea why this happened all of a sudden?"

"We stopped arguing so much." That was true. Our last bicker-session had been about a week ago. I was sincerely pissed about being treated like a pet but nothing I said or did had any effect. He remained impassive towards the issue. To him, that's just the way things were.

"Gaara… Do you honestly want to become Kazekage?" Kankuro had thought about it once and Baki knew about his desire although he didn't present it to the council today. Thank the gods.

"Yes," he assured me. "Tell me, Nari, when do you leave Suna?"

"As far as I know, when the new Kazekage is elected, my mission will be complete." He already knew the true nature of my mission. Of course, he also knew, technically speaking, I had no voice in the Kazekage's selection. My input into that situation would have to be done through the alterations of the memories of the council members. Then again, that didn't necessarily mean I'd help Gaara succeed. He had to deserve it if he wanted my support. He knew that.

"You'll leave afterwards, then."

"I believe so," I responded. Silence lasted the rest of the meal. We paid for our separate orders and left. "Well, I'm going to change and then meet Kankuro at the training grounds. Care to join us?" Gaara nodded. He didn't have anything better to do. I hopped back to my room and changed quickly.

"Where do you think you're going," Temari demanded as I stepped out.

"The training grounds. Kankuro said he'd let me play with Crow." Temari was already shaking her head. They had been watching us during dinner. Apparently, our meager conversation was unsatisfactory. I didn't see why. What did they expect? Gushy confessions of infatuations that didn't exist? Please.

"Isn't there something you need to tell Gaara?"

"Like what?" I demanded.

"I don't know, maybe that you convinced the council to let him join the regular forces?" I let out a low breath. _More with the politics? Seriously? Can't a girl get a break?_ "We thought you should be the one to tell him."

"You make it sound like I did this for him," I mumbled. "I didn't."

"Yes, you did," Temari argued. "And we all know it. Now, go on. Tell him. He's on the roof."

"Imagine that," I breathed. Getting to the roof took me all about three seconds. There he sat, watching Suna. "Gaara, excuse me for not being very enthusiastic but the council has decided to allow you to join the regular forces." He glanced back at me, an amused look in his eyes.

"They're not leaving you alone."

"No. They're not. I just want to train." He nodded and turned away from me again. That was his way of saying I could leave now. I took off, taking the longest route so as to avoid any more distracters. When I finally reached the training grounds, I thought I'd collapse in joy. I stood up tall and snatched a couple of shuriken from my pouch, aimed, and…

"Nari, the council requests your presence." I glared at the elder who had been sent to summon me.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"No."

"Gods, damn the politics of the world. Damn them all to Hell." I thrust my weapons back into my pouch and stormed after the slightly amused elder back to the Kazekage building, back into my stupid, white robes, and back into the high backed chair that needed to be thrown out a window. Spy, fine. But ambassador? That was not my thing.

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**Thank you all for reading and, as always, please review. I also wrote another Naruto fan fiction. It's very short and it's not a romance but I'd enjoy it very much if you read it. It's called "A Slave's Silence". Thank you again and have a fine summer.**


	19. Fate Reveals Itself

**Back to the non-filler chapters. Hurray! We're starting to get really close to the romance here, just a few more chapters...**

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I closed my eyes and concentrated. I could hear the bird flying above me, I could see through his eyes. All of Suna lay before it, spread out flat and planned out. I could see the market street, the Kazekage building, the training grounds, and the academy. The cliffs surrounding the village, more like walls in actuality, were reddish in hue. Seeing through a bird's eye was strange. Their colors were much different than mine.

Now it was time to practice the justu I wanted to perfect. In the scroll labeled "Hidden Jutsu", there was mention of a jutsu where one can take over the body of an animal. How the jutsu worked and how to use it had been lost, but it was possible. There were other jutsu that should give me the ability to project my thoughts into others' minds. Neither had worked for me as of yet.

I concentrated on the flapping of the wings. I tried to intertwine my mind with the mind of the bird. His breath was my breath, his wings were my wings. Every instinct, every shift in position was intensified. The smells, the hunger, the heat. This was all distinct, all helping me to become the hawk. I was circling above a strange figure who is so still she might be dead. I do not want to swoop down and check on her, she might be dangerous. But part of me does, part of me needs to.

I focused intensely, making the bird change his wing position, to begin to swoop down. It came lower and lower and… "Damn it! I lost it again!" The hawk immediately began to propel itself upward, away from the figure. I let the bird go. My head hurt from the focus and trying to block out everyone else. The council, for the past hour or so, had been deep in the discussion over the matter of the Kazekage. Gaara had officially put his name in for the running and the debate within was as heated as ever. I had already done all I could do with my limited gifts.

It had been months since Gaara had join the regular forces. He had a student now, Matsuri, and was often busy. That was good for him. Keeping him busy and with others was useful for those who wanted to control him. Of course, it also helped me to get a little bit of peace and quiet since Kankuro and Temari couldn't put forth their plan. _And thank the gods for that_, I thought.

Speaking of the sand siblings, they were gathered in a room a few floors below me. Kankuro was playing with his newest puppet, Salamander, while Temari was daydreaming about Shikamaru. Poor girl was lovesick. Gaara, who I observed through Temari's eyes, was playing with some sort of bracelet. In fact, as I looked closer at it, it was an exact replica of my left cuff. I wondered what he was doing. _Time to find out_, I told myself, leaving Temari's conscious. I slipped back into the building through a porthole and headed down to the room. The Kazekage building was like home to me. I could traverse it with my eyes closed.

"What are you up to?" I asked, slipping into the room. I wasn't dressed in my normal attire. The heat of Suna had finally started to get to me so I was wearing only a short, black skirt and a tank-top. I'd burn if I stayed outside long but I was usually stuck inside until night anyway. My two headbands were in their regular places and my black sandals had been replaced with a pair of white ones.

The jinchuriki glanced up at me momentarily before refocusing on the cuff. I couldn't tell what he was doing with it so I imagined it had to be involved with chakra. "Hey, Nari," Kankuro stated, glancing up at me. "What are you all dressed up for?" I looked prettier than normal from his point of view. Kankuro wasn't really sure what he thought of me. I was too creepy looking to be pretty, too pretty to be ugly, and too innocent looking to be creepy. I wasn't average either so, to him, I was "eh".

"I'm not. It's just hot."

"Ten minutes outside in that and you'll be crispy," Temari stated.

"Thirty minutes. Surprisingly, I don't burn easily."

"It's because you're half-demon," Kankuro figured. Only the sand siblings knew the specifics of my situation so he whispered it.

"Probably," I agreed. "So, why are all of you inside?" I received three sets of glares. They knew I knew. Asking pointless questions was becoming a habit of mine. That was good when I wanted to disguise my gifts but to those who knew, it was annoying. "Sorry."

"How's it going?" Temari asked.

"It's… going," I muttered. "Actually, I think I'm going to get involved again here soon."

"You're not going to give us any details," she assumed. I confirmed her suspicion and she let out a low sigh. She honestly wanted Gaara to succeed. In truth, he didn't have much opposition. They were running out of options. I sat down, cross-legged, next to Gaara and closed my eyes. _Time for more politics_, I sighed.

_"But to make him Kazekage!" one protested. _

_"He's done outstanding on all of his missions. Reports say he used his sand shield to protect his teammates as well as himself. In truth, we have no reason to oppose him other than because of what he is." So my earlier memory tweaking had worked. They were taking notice of all the good he had done since joining the regular forces. That was good. _

_"Not to mention, putting Gaara into the position as Kazekage gives us a direct link to control him. Have him there and, as Baki pointed out earlier, he would act under our council. Not to mention, that binds him to the village and eliminates the threat Nari mentioned so long ago," the eldest member pointed out. He didn't like Gaara but he saw the profits all could reap from his promotion to Kage. _

_"This conversation isn't going anywhere," one lady said. "All in favor of Gaara becoming Kazekage." Hands rose and the few that hesitated, I spurred forward with good memories of him. Astonishingly, only three were in opposition. Gaara had succeeded. "Then this meeting is resolved."_ I opened my eyes and left the council.

"It has been decided," I stated calmly. All three of them granted me their full attention. "I expect that Baki will give you the results." Three glares responded. "I wasn't a part of this meeting, remember? I'm not supposed to know how it turned out and neither are you." At that moment, Baki came in. We were only down the hall from the council chambers. "How'd it go?" I asked him. I was intending to tell him about my gift but I had to wait until after this decision was made, just in case.

"We would like to speak with Gaara," he said, not hinting who had won. Gaara nodded and handed me the cuff. I raised in eyebrow but got no response as he strode off with his sensei.

"He doesn't expect me to put this on, does he?" I asked, holding it up. Temari shook her head and shrugged. Kankuro smirked.

"I think he's trying to make up for how you received them last time."

"Doubtful," I argued. "He enjoys his power over me."

"You can't blame him. I'd love to have some power over you, too. You're too dangerous for your own good." I frowned at the middle sibling. I wasn't _that_ dangerous unless someone pissed me off. That didn't happen often anymore. The longer I spent in politics, the mellower I seemed to become. Now, it took a lot to upset me.

I peered at the new cuff. It was identical physically, but as I analyzed the chakra within, something was different. I just didn't know what. "Nari, if Gaara becomes Kazekage, will you go to the celebration?" Temari asked randomly. I glanced up at her.

"Of course, I'd go. Sure, he annoys me with his 'I'm your owner' act but I still think of him as a companion." Her look was pointed. She didn't believe that I thought of Gaara only as a companion. Her insistency that I had an infatuation for the jinchuriki was admirable but annoying. It wasn't true.

"Nari, what would you do if you lost Gaara?" She wanted to prove her point that I liked him, at least as a friend.

"Like dead?" she nodded. I frowned at that and furrowed my eyebrows. What would I do? Well, first of all, I'd do my best to prevent such an occurrence. He was the new Kazekage, after all. I'd do anything to save him. The loss of Gaara could mean panic in Suna. But if I couldn't save him? If I couldn't bring him back? I felt a strange sensation in my chest at such a thought. It'd be like losing Miu and Takeo again but… worse. Much worse. "I don't know," I admitted. "That's not really an important question though. The odds are that I'll die long before Gaara." Temari smirked a little.

"You're just trying to cover up the fact that you care for him."

"He treats me like a pet," I retorted, crossing my arms and turning away.

"Only because you let him."

"I do not!"

"Nari, have you ever actually asked him to stop?" Kankuro demanded, joining in.

"Ye -," I paused, rethinking that. Had I ever asked? "No, but…"

"Maybe you should ask." I puffed at my bangs and tightened my ponytail by pulling on the hair.

"It's not going to have any affect," I told him. "Nothing I've said or done has had any affect."

"Nari, despite how you might feel, Gaara does regard you as a friend of sorts," Temari informed me. "The way he treats you like a pet might just be his way of staking a claim on you. You know he's new to these types of feelings." I rolled my eyes. That wasn't my fault. Why should I be treated like this? Suddenly, a very pleased Gaara walked into the room. Much to all of our astonishment, a smile was plastered onto his face. It wasn't like a big, toothy-grin but a small one that showed he really was human and had feelings. I smiled back, already knowing the news.

"You did it," Kankuro breathed in realization. He hadn't been sure that his younger brother could do it but he had prayed for his success. Gaara nodded. Temari was so proud and happy for him that she ran over and embraced him. I saw the flicker of surprise cross his features but it faded away when she released him.

"When's the ceremony?" she demanded.

"In nine days," Baki answered, coming into the room as well. "The night of the new moon." That was a suitable time. Gaara would have the least trouble that night. "Here's the catch, and I did try to have this removed, but as the Honorable Siblings, both of you are expected to have dates." He was talking to Temari and Kankuro. Temari's thoughts immediately snapped to Shikamaru but she pushed the thought aside and considered other boys that were already in Suna. She wouldn't have any trouble finding a date.

"You mean that Gaara is excluded from this?" Kankuro demanded, wishing that it wasn't so. That would've presented him and Temari with the perfect opportunity to force us together again.

"Yes, Gaara is excluded." Kankuro started complaining about how that wasn't fair and Temari joined in. Baki quirked an eyebrow, not knowing of anybody who would agree to go to the celebration with Gaara. "If he wants a date, of course he can take her but…"

"Yeah, yeah…," Kankuro muttered. "And Nari?"

"As far as I know, Nari will be returning to Konoha. She's only supposed to be ambassador until the new Kazekage is selected. She doesn't have to stay for the celebration or even attend, although you're certainly allowed to," he said, redirecting the statement to me.

"I should go send a hawk to Lady Tsunade about the news. If you'll excuse me," I attempted to slip away but Temari caught hold of my cuff. _Even she uses them to disable me!_ I gave her my attention.

"I'd like you to meet me in my room when you're done, okay?" she said sweetly. I nodded and, before I forgot, tossed the new left cuff to Gaara. I surely didn't want it. His sand caught it for him and then I was gone.

When I reached the hawk tower, I began to regret not congratulating Gaara myself. I shrugged the feeling off. I'd tell him later. Besides, it's not as if he didn't know I was happy for him. I did smile, after all.

"Hello. Do you need something?" a hawk-trainer asked me when I got to the top floor.

"Yes, I have a message that I need to send to the Hokage."

"Of course," the woman said. She retrieved a tiny scroll, a brush, and a vile of ink for me. "What is it?" I had been here several times before and she knew I couldn't write. It was slightly embarrassing for a girl my age but it couldn't be helped. I had never had the need to write before.

"Tell her that the new Kazekage has been selected and that he is Gaara." The trainer gave me an astonished face. I nodded that she had heard me correctly. She closed her mouth and began to write again. "Also ask if I may stay for the celebration in nine days." She nodded, finished, rolled up the scroll, put it into a carrier-hawk's pouch, and let him fly away.

"She should receive the message in a few days."

"Thank you." With that, I took my leave and headed back towards the round building in the center of Suna. I slipped through the building unnoticed and reached Temari's room. I knocked.

"Come in." I pushed open the door and stood under her studious gaze. "You're staying for the celebration," she ordered.

"If Lady Tsunade is alright with it," I said, reminding her whose decision it really was. She nodded and beckoned me in further.

"Sit down, we need to talk." She pointed to her bed. I sighed, knowing where this conversation was heading. I did as she bid and waited. "You love him."

"I don't."

"You do."

"I don't." I let out an exasperated laugh. Why was she being so pushy? Couldn't she let it go? I had known Temari for more than a year now and still she believed the same thing, despite the lack of supporting evidence.

"You talk in your sleep," she snapped. I froze. My dream, since it was reoccurring, was still that hallway. Sometimes I did things differently but the ending was always the same. Gaara made it through the door, it shut in my face, and I was crushed by sand. "You call his name."

"That's ridiculous," I denied but I was secretly searching her memories for the occasion. She was correct. I did. Not very loud but once, when she had come to check on me, she had heard me. Apparently, Kankuro had reported such instances as well.

"You know what I'm talking about," she assumed, seeing my expression. I tended to call after Gaara once he went through the door. It was a nightmare, not a dream. I didn't like it at all. "Do you remember what you're dreams are about? Care to share?" I puffed at my bangs.

"I'm trapped in a hallway and all the doors are locked besides one. It's wide open and it's casting light into the hallway. Standing in the light is your brother. I try to follow him through the door but it always shuts in my face. I try to pound my way past to no avail. Then I wake up." I left out the cuffs, sand, and kanji on purpose.

"You've never made it through the door."

"No. It's been the same dream every time I sleep since the Sasuke Retrieval Mission." Her jaw dropped. _That sounds miserable,_ she determined. "It is," I agreed in a low whisper. "And I don't like your brother showing up in my dreams either." At that, she smirked.

"Nari, you know you like him. At least a little bit."

"No." She shook her head and knelt down in front of me.

"Maybe, if you admit your feelings for him, you'll get to see what's beyond the door."

"I admit my feelings every day," I said harshly. She shrugged.

"Well, that's all I wanted. You can leave." I nodded and walked out, pulling my hair out of my ponytail and running a hand through my hair. It was only an hour after noon but I was exhausted. It had been five days since I last slept. That was partly because I was so nervous about the meeting today (don't ask me why) and because I hadn't been able to get in any physical exercise. Now, for whatever reason, I was exhausted.

I went across the hall to my room and closed the door. I went to my bathroom and stripped down, wanting to take a shower. I cleansed myself and then dried off and got into a pair of shorts and a clean tank-top. I laid down on top of the covers and pushed my wet hair to the side. I crossed my hands over my stomach and closed my eyes, starting to meditate. With all the distracting thoughts around, it was the only way I'd ever be able to sleep. I knew that from experience.

Suddenly, my door opened. I peeked at Gaara as he walked in. "Am I disturbing you?" he asked softly, noting my position. I shook my head and sat up. I had only just started my meditation. I noticed, in Gaara's hands, were four cuffs. Apparently, the left one wasn't the only one he wanted to modify.

"Do I have a choice?" I asked as he approached and took my left hand. He shook his head and took the cuff on my wrist off as simply as if anyone could do it. Then, he put the new one on. He did the same thing for each of my limbs and then added the old cuffs back into his sand collection. "What's the difference?" I wondered aloud.

"You'll see," he muttered. He turned to leave but I called out to him. He looked over his shoulder at me.

"Gaara, congratulations."

"Thank you, Nari," he replied somewhat solemnly.

"And one more thing. Can you, please, stop treating me like a pet?" Silence ensued. "Gaara?"

"You are a pet." I sighed and put my head in my hands. "Good evening, Nari," he told me before leaving me to peace. I plopped back down onto my bed and closed my eyes again. I meditated again, trying to find another dozer within the city. The only one I found was a baby. I took what I had and soon fell asleep.

_I am in the same hallway as always. I look towards the door I know will open for me as soon as I try a different door. But, instead of following the usual routine, I walk towards the door. I put my hand around the knob and twist. There is no lock. I am astonished as I pull the door open. I place myself between the door and the room so that I cannot be barred entrance again. I peer into the bright white light. _

_Suddenly, a hand appears on top of my shoulder. I glance over at Gaara who is also staring into the white light. He urges me forward and I take a step, him directly at my side. The door shuts behind us. The light becomes brighter the further we step in and soon I must close my eyes. Then, I open them to a strange sight. _

_A little girl lays by a pond, running her fingers through the water. Tears stream down her face and drip into the water, but her expression is peaceful. It is as though she doesn't realize she's in pain. A boy stands nearby. He is crying as well, squatting with his hands rubbing his eyes. I recognize the children, myself and Gaara. _

_"We should…," I start but when I turn towards where my companion was, he is gone. I look around for him but find no one. I glance back at the children. The little boy is no longer crying. He is standing up, two people on either side of him. I recognize younger Kankuro, Temari, and Naruto. Lord Baki is also standing there. The girl, on the other hand, is pounding at the pond with her fists. No one is with her. _

_I go over to the little girl, ignoring the eyes of Gaara's family as I go. I sit behind her and begin to stroke her hair. "It'll be alright," I console her. She doesn't seem to hear me. That's when young Gaara comes over. He kneels down beside young me and shakes her. She looks up, trying to stop her tears. He holds out a hand to her. She takes it and he pulls her to her feet. Then, he takes her back to his family. _

_"You'll be happy here," he tells her. Older Gaara reappears by my side. He is watching the same sight I am. I wait for him to say something, to do something. He offers me his hand but I refuse. Everything fades away slowly. _

_"No, wait!" I scream, trying to catch them. No matter where I run, I end up back at the pond. I lay down by it like my younger self and start to cry. _

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**As always, thanks for reading and please review. The next chapter is super cute!**


	20. My Night

**Thank all of you for the constant reviews and here's the next chapter. To ARealBloodDrinker: Gaara thinks of Nari as a pet due to his inability to understand how he really feels. The feeling an owner has to his pet is the best way he can describe how he cares for Nari. It's also because she is part-animal and I find it funny to frustrate her. **

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"So he didn't ask you, huh?" Temari recapped, pinning my hair up. We were getting ready for the Kazekage Initiation Ceremony. She was talking about how her little brother didn't ask me to be his date. As far as everyone knew, he'd be going alone. In truth, that wasn't surprising but it disappointed our "matchmaker".

"No."

"Does that upset you?"

"No."

"Yes, it does."

"Temari, I'm leaving early tomorrow morning to head back to Konoha. As far as I know, the next time I come to Suna will be when I'm retired and free to enjoy the world the way I please, if I even live that long. Why do you insist that I become connected to someone I may not see again after tonight?"

"I'm not insisting that you _become_ connected, just that you admit that you already _are_ connected." I puffed at my bangs and glanced down at my new cuffs. These were more gifts than chains. Somehow, Gaara managed to make them absorb excess chakra that might seep out of my body before a jutsu. Since I concentrated my chakra to my hands before almost every jutsu, it was pretty useful. In fact, I loved them. But love Gaara? I wasn't so sure.

"Can't you just leave me be tonight?"

"No! You just said it yourself that it could be years before we see each other again. This is my last chance. You can bet your ass that I'm going to take it." I sighed and let the issue drop. After my hair was all fancy, and the wisps hanging around my face curled, Temari headed for her closet, something my room lacked.

"Are you ready to see what you're going to wear?" she asked excitedly. The blonde kunoichi was already dressed in a dark blue, silk kimono with wind designs throwing around flowers on the bottom. If I knew Temari, mine would be similar. I gave her a nod and wasn't surprised when a dark purple, silk fabric showed. What did surprise me, on the other, was that it wasn't a kimono.

The dress was made to reveal my shoulders and collarbones, not something you'd wear during the day in Suna. It had long sleeves that were partly gloves since you're thumbs had holes made for them. It was obviously designed just for me, since it didn't contain an area for breasts. Super high metabolism meant no chest. The skirt of the dress was long, though. It'd probably skim the floor if I wore it. It was meant to be skintight up top and light and airy at the bottom. An interesting article of clothing, at the very least.

"Do I have pants to go underneath?" Temari scoffed at me and forced me over to her. She helped me to undress and then situate the dress properly. I had been right about it being made for me. It fit perfectly. "When did you get my measurements?" I demanded.

"Remember that day that we took you to a doctor because everyone thought you had been poisoned by Crow?" I nodded, grimacing. That hadn't been a fortunate experience. I didn't like doctors anymore. "I got them then." I could see that. The doctors had taken a lot of measurements to determine what dosage of antidote they should give me, even though I said I didn't need one.

"Spin for me," Temari ordered, snapping me out of my daydream. I did as she wished and she clapped her hands. "You look splendid… besides your eyes. But that's alright. I doubt it'll make that big of a difference." I touched my lower right eye sadly. It would make a difference and we all knew it. Everyone thought my eyes were creepy.

"Here are your shoes and then we can go meet our dates." I slipped into the white sandals and followed Temari down stairs. When she said "our dates", she meant her date and my "date". Kankuro would be taking me to the celebration since Gaara hadn't asked me. In truth, it worked out for everyone that Gaara didn't ask. That way Kankuro didn't have to look for a last minute date.

Temari's date was a shy boy a year or so older than her. He had black hair and wasn't a very special ninja as far as sand ninja go. He had brown eyes and a soft smile. I liked him but his lack of confidence made most people look at him like a little brother. That's how Temari saw him. She was only going with him because Shikamaru couldn't attend.

_Wow_, two boys' minds thought as we approached. Both Temari and I were getting equal attention. Apparently, I looked good in purple and she looked good in a kimono. "You don't look so scary dressed like that," Kankuro assured me. I laughed and shook my head. I felt exposed without pants of some sort and my exposed shoulders. But only nine days ago I had been dressed in a miniskirt and a tank-top. I didn't know why I was so uncomfortable.

"Beautiful as always, Lady Temari," her date complimented her. She smiled and we led the boys outside. Temari went off in the direction of where the ceremony would begin. She'd follow the entire procession. Kankuro and I were lucky enough that we only had to stand at the end. After the initiation, there was supposed to be a dance and then we could leave. I sat through the first part of the night patiently, smiling as though I wanted to be there even though I really didn't. I was happy for Gaara but I wasn't fond of social gatherings, for obvious reasons.

"You're silent tonight," Kankuro noted just as Gaara finished with his acceptance speech. It was short and sweet just like a speech by Gaara would be.

"I'm trying not to pay attention to any one thing," I whispered back.

"Why?"

"I'm starting to get a headache. It doesn't help that I'm sitting next to the new Kazekage's brother and the last Kazekage's son." He gave me a half smile.

"We'll be on the dance floor soon. You won't have to worry after that." Ten minutes later, everyone who was somebody was crowded into a ballroom in the Kazekage building. The decorations were beautiful with little rain drops and wind breezes. I liked it and the floor was polished to gleam.

"I've never danced before," I admitted as the music started up and Kankuro and I went to the middle of the floor. The two Honorable Siblings had to dance first. It surprised the entire council to see me with Kankuro but the other attendees just wondered at who I was, along with who Temari's date was. Neither of us was well known it appeared.

"Just follow my lead and you'll be fine," the puppet master said. He grabbed one of my hands and put the other on his shoulder. Then he wrapped his arm around my waist. I was decently shorter than my date so the hold wasn't awkward and the dance was easy enough with him in the lead. I even enjoyed it a little. I might have liked it more if it wasn't for the raging headache. "See, perfectly fine."

"Yeah…," I agreed. Others soon joined the dance and I was granted a reprieve from being the center of attention. I took advantage of it and slumped my head backwards, letting out a tense breath. I closed my eyes and marveled at the near silence of my mind. Only Kankuro was focusing on me now.

_I didn't realize this party was going to take such a toll on her otherwise I might have convinced Temari not to make her come. She looks like someone just finished drilling a kunai in her head. _"I can't look that awful," I muttered, furrowing my eyebrows.

"You're expression, at least." I shrugged and lifted my head back up to stare into brown eyes. "So here's the deal. I'm going to toss you around a bit to other dancers. As an ambassador, and as my date, you have to talk to the lords and ladies here. Be respectful, dance with whoever asks you to dance at least once and, remember, if Gaara steps in…"

"He's the Kazekage and I'm to take the opportunity as soon as it arises. Yeah, yeah. I got it." He laughed.

"If you weren't such a killjoy you might have some friends." My jaw dropped.

"I have friends!"

"The sand siblings? That's not saying much."

"It's not my fault I'm stuck with either you guys or council members."

"That's true. Anyway, see you around, Nari." He handed me off to an old man in white robes. The man was kind and complimented me on my dress. He did his best to avoid staring at my eyes or commenting on them. That's how a lot of the people I danced with acted. Finally, I managed to escape altogether and got a glass of water from the refreshment bar.

"I thought you weren't a lady." I jumped at the sudden voice. I glanced up at Kio dressed in a servant's outfit.

"I thought you were a merchant," I retorted with a smile. "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you recently." When I was stationed in Suna, I had been sure to keep in touch with the merchant and his son. Still, it had been about a month since we had last spoken.

"I am but the old geezer wanted me to help at the party."

"And I'm not but Kankuro was forced to have a date. It's my last night in Suna, by the way. I would've told you sooner but I've been busy preparing for this." Kio nodded. He understood that I wasn't one to be extremely close to people. He realized that he was lucky to be told this far in advance.

"Well, I wish I could stay and chit-chat but…"

"I understand. Bye, Kio."

"Goodbye, Nari. Safe travels."

"Thanks." _Well, at least I got that out of tonight. _I glanced back at the dance floor and saw Temari stalking towards me. She wasn't upset or on a mission, thank the gods; she just wanted to see what I was up to.

"Good evening, Nari. How are you?" she began, also grabbing a glass of water.

"I've been better. I've been worse."

"Well that's a depressing way to put it. What's the matter?"

"I have a headache."

"Too many people?" I nodded. We gazed across the room, studying all the pretty dresses and the lords that were attending. "I still can't believe he did it." I smiled. Her awe was delightful to behold. I couldn't imagine how proud Gaara must be to have invoked it. "Have you seen him yet?"

"A few times here and there. He looks good in that garb." She laughed. "Where's your date?"

"Oh, he doesn't like social events. I let him slip off." I nodded. I wished I could slip off but Temari would have my head if I ruined her plans for the night. "Speaking of dates…" _Time for step one_, she thought. My head popped up and I watched as Gaara approached us. He looked as emotion drained as ever. Someone really needed to remind him that it was okay to smile. "Have fun," she winked at me and left us alone.

"Enjoying the new position?" I asked when he reached me. He cocked his head to the side and then followed Temari's back with a questioning gaze. "I don't know," I told him, understanding the unspoken inquiry. "So, how is your night going?"

"Smoothly. Yours?"

"I don't like being in a room full of people but I'll survive." He quirked a nonexistent eyebrow. "Mind reading isn't for social people." His face remained impassive but I knew part of him was amused. I was sure of it. Suddenly, he offered me his hand. My eyes opened wide. I hadn't been expecting that. "You want to dance with me?" He nodded, a small blush tinting his cheeks. I hesitated and almost declined but then I remembered my dream. I didn't want to end up crying at that pond all by myself. I took his hand and he led me to the middle of the dance floor.

"What's Lord Kazekage doing?" was one of the many harsh whispers that resounded around the room. "Wasn't that the girl with his brother earlier?" was another. Their thoughts and curiosities pounded at my headed but I suppressed a grimace and took the same position Kankuro had taught me.

"I hope you know how to dance because I sure don't," I said as the music suddenly switched to a slower melody. He simply nodded, relieving some of my fears. He led me through a slow dance, slightly different from the one Kankuro and I had shared but similar enough that I wasn't confused.

Being unable to concentrate on the mind of the person in front of me was almost as bad as being unable to find a grip when climbing a cliff. I simply had to clutch to where I was already or be thrown into a dark abyss. In this case, that abyss was the minds of curious bystanders. "Gaara, I can't take much more of this," I breathed, leaning in closer to him. "There are too many minds, too much noise that I can't block out. I feel like my head is going to explode." I knew he, of all people, would understand this pain.

"Would you like me to escort you to your room?"

"You don't have to. Just get me off this dance floor." He stared into my eyes for a moment or so before he brought our dance to an end. We stepped to the sidelines but many were still eyeing us. "Thanks," I muttered. "I think I am going to retire for the night. I'll see you in the morning." He nodded and I escaped into the halls and quickly up to my room. Over all, I had only spent two hours at the dance. I was pathetic.

"Whoa. Where's the fire?" a deep voice asked, stopping me in my tracks. I glanced up at Baki. He, too, had just left the dance. As soon as he looked into my eyes, he did a double take. "Is everything alright, Nari?"

"Yeah. I've got a major headache is all. Don't worry about me." _Seriously, don't. You'd just make it worse. _

"Are you sure? Do you want me to get Temari or a doctor?" I shook my head. I just needed peace and quiet without any thoughts on me. "Well, alright. If you're sure. Goodnight, Nari."

"Night." I slowed my steps after that to keep from drawing attention to myself. I got to my room and changed into something more comfortable. I sat on my bed and brought my knees to my chin, screwing my eyes shut and clamping my hands over my ears as if that could block out the noise.

Holing up in my room to meditate wasn't helping. There were still too many people wondering who I was and why I was so important that _I_ got to dance with the new Kazekage and his brother. What did I do for Suna? Was I a friend, maybe one of theirs girlfriend? I wasn't _that_ pretty. Kind of creepy, actually.

"No, no! Shut up! Shut up!" I cried. The more I tried to stop it, the worse it seemed to be. Suddenly, a soothing hand was placed on my shoulder. I didn't look up to take notice of my new visitor. My lack of warning to their presence told me who it was. I didn't want to cry in front of him but the pain! Someone was hammering a wedge between my skull and my brain. It hurt!

A body sank the cushion next to me and the removal of three pins allowed my hair to cascade around my body. I just barely registered the clink of them hitting the dresser. "Should I get someone?" Gaara asked, unsure of what do in the present situation. I shook my head. I didn't need another voice to be added to the mess of sound. He sat there awkwardly. I couldn't blame him. I wouldn't have a clue at what I'd do if our positions had been switched. That's when the door creaked open.

Again, I ignored the intruder. It was Temari and she was telling Gaara something but since her thoughts weren't directly on me, I was more than happy to tune them out. She left soon after without a word to me. That was perfectly fine.

Then, a hand began to stroke my hair back. It didn't register to me that Gaara, Gaara of all people, was trying to comfort me. Instead, I leaned into him almost as if on instinct. He froze momentarily but soon continued his previous action. It took nearly three hours for all the partygoers to retire and leave me in peace. That was when I finally stopped crying and pulled myself out of Gaara's grip.

"Th – thanks," I stuttered, wiping at my eyes. He said nothing and stared into space, not looking at me.

"You should rest before your journey tomorrow." I nodded in agreement and laid down on the far side of the bed from where he sat. As I got comfortable, I noticed him staring at me. "You're okay now."

"Mm-hm." He nodded and then stood and headed to leave. He paused at the door.

"Who left you at a pond?" he asked randomly.

"What?"

"When I asked you to dance, you mumbled something about not wanting to be left alone at a pond. Who did that to you?" I blushed, slightly mortified that I had said that aloud.

"It was just a dream I had," I replied.

"Who in your dream?"

"You," I admitted. "You offered me your hand and I refused so you left me at this pond that my younger self had been crying into earlier. It was just a dream though." He glanced at me and frowned.

"I wouldn't leave you to cry at a pond," he declared, sounding slightly offended. Then he was gone. I laughed in mild amusement and soon dozed off to the dreams of Temari across the hall.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked this chapter and I promise it gets a whole lot sweeter. Anyway, I have a question for you all. I'm a couple chapters ahead of this one in writing and I wanted to do something I'm sure you GaaraXNari fans will love (though I can't imagine why you would be reading this story if you didn't like them...), the problem is that it might affect the original series. I'm normally kind of OCD about not changing the original story for my fan fictions but I think this might be worth it. Now, I think I can pull it off with minimal interference but I can't be sure since I haven't gotten very far in Shippuden and because you never know what those writers are up to. So would you be alright with it or should I slap the idea on the hand and say, "No!"? Well, thanks for listening to me blab and please answer! Bye bye. **


	21. The Chuunin Exams

**Spoiler Alert: I jut found out that Itachi is actually a good guy and has been this entire time. I'm just sitting here like O.O I honestly couldn't believe it so I'm determined to somehow incorporate him in the story. He deserves it.**

* * *

"You want me to do _what_?" I demanded, exasperated. I was standing in front of Lady Tsunade in Konoha. I had only arrived from Suna the day before. I had left without saying goodbye, departing around four o'clock in the morning. Now, I was regretting not staying longer. I had made it home just in time for _this_.

"I want you to attend the Chuunin Exams. Actually, _I_ don't want you to, the council does."

"But I'm already a chuunin."

"Exactly. They don't believe you possess the proper qualities to be a chuunin and that my judgment was flawed. Now that I want to promote you to jounin, they're insisting upon it. This is the only compromise. Either do this or be demoted to genin. Your choice." I sighed and puffed at my bangs.

"I'm guessing that there are going to be additional precautions to prevent me from accidently killing any unfortunate genin."

"Of course. You'll be informed of those as you go along. Now, is there anything else you want to report to me about your mission?"

"Just that it was a complete success and that these cuffs," I held up my hands, "are designed to help control the excess chakra that is released with the jutsu I perform. Now I can kill an enemy without killing my teammates. They work quite effectively, actually." Tsunade motioned for me to come closer.

"Can you take one off so I can analyze it?"

"I'm afraid not. Only Gaara knows how to take them off."

"He created them, then?"

"Yes." _Fascinating. I wonder why he'd put forth such an effort for Nari. Or, perhaps, he was taking extra precautions to assure his village's safety. Still, this may not be a good thing._ "It's not as though I'm much of a ninja," I tried to appease her. "In fact, I've only just completed my very first mission and that took over six months."

"You're skill set requires different types of missions to be utilized effectively. That's why I want to make you a jounin, so that you can go on more S-ranked missions." I frowned and ran a finger through my loose, ebony hair. I hadn't put it up since the Kazekage Initiation Ceremony. I'd have to either put it up or cut it soon, though. I hadn't decided which yet. Admittedly, I was reluctant to cut my hair. The only part I had ever cut before was my bangs. To lose all those black locks…

"Now, the squad you'll be working with is waiting for you in room 302 in the academy. You're dismissed." I snapped my attention back to the present and nodded before taking off. I went into the academy for the first time and looked at the numbers above the doors. _Screw it,_ I thought. _I'll just ask for directions. _And I did from one of the various chuunin teachers around. I was guided to where I needed to be and came across two genin.

"Are you Squad 2?" I asked softly, walking up to them. It was a team of two boys. They had probably lost their female companion on a mission and had been stuck with me.

"Yes. I'm Dai and this is my partner, Sadao," the taller of the two boys said. "Are you our new teammate?"

"I am. Nari Ninetails at your service." I bowed a little. "How old are you two?" They almost looked like twins, the only difference in appearance being height. They both had brown hair cut short and brown eyes. They had the same, tiny nose, long faces, and lean, muscular bodies. They also had the same skin tone. It was kind of scary, to say the least.

"Twelve," Sadao stated. "And Dai is thirteen. We're brothers."

"I can tell. Shall we go in then?" They nodded and we stepped into the room full of other genin hoping to become chuunin. I glanced around and realized for the first time that I had no idea what I was getting into. Not only was I on a team full of complete strangers, but the only part of the Chuunin Exams that I knew anything about was the very end. I made sure to stay close to Dai and Sadao.

"Alright, listen up," I said to them. They weren't too happy about me immediately taking the leader role. "I know you know nothing about me, just like I know nothing about you, but you have to trust my judgment, alright? My skills are in getting information out of others. If these tests consist of any mind games, I will figure them out and respond correctly. You just need to follow my lead. Got it?"

"Why should we?" Dai demanded.

"For one, I'm fifteen, which makes me older than any of the genin from your year. Secondly, I already _am_ a chuunin. The only reason why I'm taking this exam is to prove to the council members that Lady Hokage was correct in her decision to make me one and to prove that I'm capable of being a jounin. That is why you should listen to me."

"Have you ever been on a B-ranked mission?"

"I killed sixty sound ninja during the invasion nearly a year ago and I just got back form an S-ranked mission, something normally only jounin are privy to. Don't laugh at me by asking if I've been on a _B_-ranked mission." Dai shut up and lost his desire to argue with me. Once I laid down the law, he had no problem obeying it. "So, are you going to follow my lead?" It was a pointless question I already knew the answer to. "Good." I stood up a little straighter and broke from the huddle to study the genin participating this time. Rock Lee, Ten Ten, and Hinata were on a team. Neji must have already made chuunin. There were others I recognized but decided to ignore entirely. I just wanted to pass this test. I didn't care about anyone else. Well, other than my team, of course.

"Alright, everybody settle down," a man with a head covering on said. He was wearing a dark trench coat and was rather scary looking. "My name is Ibiki Morino and I am your test proctor for the first part of the Chuunin Exams. Now, these ninja," he gestured to the collection of chuunin behind him, "are going to show you to your seats." We were sat down one at a time and presented with nine of the ten questions for the first test. It was a difficult test but I found the correct answers hidden in the minds of others around me. Finally, the tenth question came around.

"Before I give you the tenth question, I must warn you. If you decide to take the tenth question and fail, one of your teammates will die." An eruption of protests arose from the remaining participants. Many had been escorted out during the exam for being caught cheating. "It will be your team's decision who dies. If all three teammates are correct, all three will pass. Any who do not want to take the tenth question, leave now." I smiled, seeing in Ibiki's head what he was up to. I leaned back in my chair, unmoved. Many genin got up and left, though. Sadao almost did but he glanced at me at the last second and remained.

_There's not many left,_ Ibiki noticed. _Good._ "You've all decided to stay then?" Hesitant nods. "Here's the tenth question. Which one of you isn't human?" This question wasn't actually important, he was just curious to which of the genin noticed that I wasn't human. "Write it down on your paper." I did, trying to contain my laughter all the while. This was simply too easy. When everyone finished writing and put their pencils down, Ibiki gesture for his helpers to collect the exams. Then he stepped back and studied us.

"You all pass," he stated calmly. There were about ten squads left. "You'll meet your next proctor tomorrow morning in front of the Forest of Death." Murmurs coursed through the room, some of delight for passing the first stage, some of horror to what was to come. I pushed my hair out of my face and stood. The two genin I was with stood as well, ready to follow me out. I smiled and mouthed to them to relax. As everyone else left, I stayed behind. Dai and Sadao gave me questioning looks but I told them to go on ahead.

"That was a sneaky move, Ibiki," I said softly, glancing at him. We were the only two left in the room. "My teammates almost lost their resolve and left."

"I'm sure they only stayed because they trust your judgment."

"Surprisingly, yes. Anyway, I just wanted to see how many of them guessed correctly," I stated as I glanced towards the stack of papers. We sorted through them without another word. Almost sadly, only three had been able to guess correctly: Hinata, Rock Lee, and Ten Ten. "They worked together," I figured.

"Yes. All of their papers are identical."

"Good for them. Have a nice evening, Ibiki."

"Good evening." I went to leave but he stopped me. "You're not to sleep tonight," he told me. I nodded and said that I understood. Then I went to await the next round.

►§◄

My squad stood in the Forest of Death, ready to go as soon as the signal was given. "If you let me take the lead, we'll have our Heaven scroll within the hour," I offered. Dai glared at me but nodded. He hated my authoritative attitude. His younger brother, on the other hand, was starting to get a crush on me.

Suddenly, the signal rang across the field. I watched as our gate opened, and we walked in. "Let's not rush, Nari," Sadao began. "Maybe we should take it easy and enjoy our time in the forest. Dai smacked his brother upside the head.

"This isn't the time to score a date. We're trying to complete the Chuunin Exams. The sooner this is over, the better."

"Besides," I joined in. "We'll have plenty of time to relax and get to know one another in the tower once we complete this." Sadao just nodded and, as promised, I took us to the nearest group with a Heaven scroll. Before they could even realize what was happening, I knocked each of them out with a swift hit to the side of the head with my staff. "Never underestimate the power of a wooden stick," I muttered as the two brothers' jaws dropped. "Let's go." All in all, we got to the tower in about fifteen minutes.

"How did I know you'd be the first team," Tsunade said, leaning against a doorway inside of the tower.

"Lady Hokage," Dai exclaimed, bowing extensively. Sadao followed his example.

"Probably because I put a mind reader with my best squad from their year." Dai and Sadao glanced at me, not believing their ears. "Or did you do everything yourself and they just tagged along?"

"There's no point in risking failure if we can handle things ourselves. If I needed their help, I have no doubt they'd assist me." Lady Tsunade glared at me.

"If there's anything you haven't learned; it's the importance of teamwork."

"I don't like taking unnecessary risks. Why should I send in a group of genin who may not survive, when I could send in one jounin who surely would?" To this, she had no response. "I was raised to fend for myself and not to worry about others. The impulse to protect someone is rare, so when I get it, I follow it. I like Dai and Sadao. I don't want to see them hurt when I could avoid it."

"You don't want to lose them like you lost Miu and Takeo," she corrected me.

"There's that, too," I agreed. "But I'm being sincere. They don't trust me, in fact Dai despises me, but I like them."

"Well, good. Have a nice evening, Nari. And congratulations. All of you passed." We had to wait five days for the last of the teams to show up. Of all the genin there, only three squads made it to the finals. We drew numbers and prepared for the final round.

►§◄

"Yes?" I called, hearing Sadao sneaking up on me. He really did have quite the crush. He came out of hiding and sat next to me. I was sitting on the roof, staring at the moon. The next day would be the final part of the Chuunin Exams. I was not permitted to sleep tonight, just to be on the safe side. I fully intended to use taijutsu for the majority of the fighting but I understood why Lady Tsunade was taking such precautions. At this point, no village could really afford to lose any ninja, even if they were genin.

"I hear the Kazekage's going to show up to try and make up for the last time his village participated in the Chuunin Exams."

"It wasn't his decision, then," I reminded the boy softly. "He was just a genin at the time, like you. Lord Gaara is very young for a Kazekage. Very, very young… Shouldn't you be sleeping, Sadao?"

"I couldn't sleep. You?"

"Same," I lied. In truth, I probably wouldn't have been able to sleep considering I had slept the night before. Still, I couldn't know for sure since I hadn't tried. "Are you nervous?" He nodded. "Don't be. You don't have to win to become a chuunin, you just have to do your best. You'll be fine."

"But I'm facing someone from Iwa."

"You'll be fine. Trust me. I am too, remember?"

"But you can read his mind. You can predict his moves."

"You'll be fine, Sadao. I promise." He smiled up at me.

"I hope you can stay on our team when all of this is over. Our teammate, my sister, died during the invasion. I've never really forgiven the Sand for that but I know you really like them and all so I think it'd be good to have you around. You could teach us and protect us and…" I put my hand on top of Sadao's brown hair.

"I think I'd like that too," I admitted. I truly had become fond of the boy and his brother. "Sadao, I like you but… I don't like you like that. I don't want to be mean about it and I'm honored that you think so highly of me, but I'm not interested in you that way. In fact, I'm not interested in anyone that way. My friends don't tend to stick around for long and I think I'd rather have a close friend for a long time than someone like that for a short time. Will you be that friend?" Sadao was hurt a little bit but he was also immensely happy. He wanted to be there for me.

"Yes, Nari. I'd love to be that friend." I grinned back and swung my legs cheerfully. Just one more day…

►§◄

I just barely managed to dodge the kunai launched at me. I growled as the ninja fled underground. I waited patiently for him to attack, following his mind and his movements. It was all I could do to block out all the bystanders. "Nari, watch out!" someone shouted from above. I didn't move an inch as the ninja's clone attacked me from behind. It wasn't real, just an illusion. It passed right through me and disappeared while I reached down and wrapped my hand around the wrist protruding from the earth.

Dragging a stone ninja out of the ground is no simple task. I had to use all of my upper body strength and then launch him across the arena. He skidded across the ground, panting as hard as I was. I walked over and raised my fist above him. "No! No more!" he shouted harshly. I had been kicking the guy's ass back and forth across the arena for nearly a half hour. "I forfeit!" I nodded happily and peered up at all those cheering as I was announced the winner. That's when my head just about exploded.

I fell to ground, screaming in agony and clutching my head. Medic-nin rushed over and helped me up, asking me all sorts of questions. I pushed them off and clamped my mouth shut. I had to bite my tongue to keep myself silent. I walked myself to the medical area so that I could rest and try to focus on a mind that could stop the pain. With the start of the next round, most of the audience lost their interest in me. Thank the gods. It only took about fifteen minutes to get the raging mass of thoughts down to a small mumble of a few people here and there. The Iwa ninja was staring at me.

"What happened to you?" he demanded, unable to understand how he had managed to hurt me when he had barely touched me at all.

"I get massive migraines sometimes," I explained softly. "I got one out on the field. I'd been holding it back for the duration of the entire fight thanks to my focus on winning. When I lost that focus, it surrounded me like a storm."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

"Yeah…," he breathed. "Are you really from Konoha?" he asked randomly.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, you look like someone I met before. This girl. She was really little and she was traveling with a rogue ninja from Iwa. With the eyes and all, I thought for sure you were her." I saw in his memories the girl he spoke of.

"That was me," I reassured him. "I was raised by rogue ninja, passed from one to the next. Konoha was just kind enough to take me in."

"Oh," he muttered.

"Anyway, I should probably get going. I hope you heal alright," I told him. "Honestly, I do." He half laughed, half coughed, and then I was gone. I went straight to where the other waiting competitors were. My next match was still a ways away. I had to be content, for now, to watch the others.

Finally, my turn came around. I was delighted with who my opponent would be. Rock Lee, the taijutsu master I had been hoping to face. We shook hands before the fight, both recognizing the other as a worthy opponent, and then began to circle each other. Lee attacked first, coming at me with full force. I stepped out of his way but was surprised with the speed at which he came for a second blow.

"You are much faster than I am," I admitted. "I think I've gotten slower just as you have gotten faster. I apologize, Lee, but I must use some ninjutsu if I hope to succeed." I jumped away from him and began series of hand signs.

"Do not apologize. It is a compliment that such a worthy taijutsu master must use other jutsu to defeat me." I laughed and smiled as my nine-tailed replication jutsu took place. As always, the audience was surprised by the appearance of a nine-tailed fox. She didn't last long though, taking human form to help me win. We double-teamed Rock Lee, making it nigh impossible for him to avoid our blows. Suddenly, my cuffs began to constrict. I jumped away from Lee and glared up at Gaara. I breathed in and breathed out, trying to concentrate on overcoming the pain and winning this fight.

_He's a wicked piece work, I tell ya_, my clone stated. I just nodded in agreement, unable to get words out as I tried to focus. Lee was very confused as he took notice of both of me looking as though they were in pain. I bit my tongue and then launched myself again. I had trained under Orochimaru for a year. I could handle a bit of pain.

The constriction of the flow of blood to my hands soon resulted in the inability to form hand signs. For whatever reason, Gaara had left my feet alone. I took that to my advantage and landed most of my blows via kick. My clone wasn't having as much luck as I was, on the other hand. The intense pain was forcing her to shift. I didn't want that. Nine-tailed fox Nari was hunter Nari that would like to rip out the throat of her prey. I couldn't have that so I was forced to let her go.

The fight was slowly leaning in Lee's favor. I didn't have more stamina than him, I wasn't better with taijutsu, and my wrists were crushed to the point that I couldn't feel my hands anymore. Finally, I jumped away from him and landed next to the proctor. "I forfeit," I told the man. He nodded and called the match to an end. I slipped away, focusing on Lee's ecstatic thoughts all the while. I didn't head to the medical room but back to where the genin were. Despite my pain and anger, I still wanted to see how Dai and Sadao did. They lost both of their matches…

"Are you alright, N – Nari?" Hinata stammered, glancing at me as I sighed and slid to the floor.

"I've been better, but thanks, Hinata. I'll be just fine."

"O – okay." I hit my head against the bar and willed myself to be patient and watch the rest of the exams. I owed the other genin that much.

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**This chapter may have seemed pointless but it help set other things up. Anyway, about that idea I had; I've decided not to go through with it. I might use it later on but not so soon. Well, thanks for reading and please tell me what you think.**


	22. The Pet and Her Master

**And so it begins...**

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I stood patiently just outside of the arena, waiting for Gaara and his posy to show up. I was sincerely pissed. His little antics had cost me the match, possibly my title as a chuunin. He had no right. No right whatsoever and he was going to get an earful about it.

"Oh, Nari!" Temari exclaimed, coming around the corner first. "I thought you would've headed to the hospital or…" She saw the seething anger in my eyes. She nodded, grabbed me by the collar, and towed me to the side so that her two brothers and their guards could pass.

"Don't you dare try to stop me," I spat. Temari frowned and put her hands on either side of my face. She looked like she had some urgent message to get across but she couldn't figure out the words to do it. Finally, she let go of me and sighed.

"Nari, I want you to keep a level-head about it, okay?"

"Did you see what he did to me?" I practically shouted. "Not only did he crush my wrists but he cost me the match, Temari! Don't you think I have the right to be angry with him right now?" She pursed her lips. "He can't keep doing this. He doesn't own me. He can't keep acting like he owns me. It's not right! It's not… It's not fair," I almost whined, calming down and feeling tears well up behind my eyes. "I'm his equal. Not his pet." I let out a shaky breath and put a hand to my forehead.

"I know, Nari. I know. Look, just let me and Kankuro handle this one. Okay? We're not going to let him get away with this. Trust me… just this once." I frowned but nodded, unable to get words pass the knot forming in my throat. It wasn't the physical pain that had incapacitated me during the match, nor what was rendering my voice box useless now. It was the emotional agony. I mean, why would he…?

_Wait a second. Did I just say emotional agony? It's not… It is. It's totally emotional. This is hurting my heart far more than it's hurting my brain or my wrists. _I let a frustrated yell and punched at the nearby wall, putting cracks into it. _No, it's alright, Nari_, I told myself. _You just need to calm down. Let's go check on Dai and Sadao. They'll make a good distraction._ Both had been put into the hospital for recovery after their match.

The woman at the desk was more than happy to show me to their joint room. Sadao's head popped up in joy and surprise when I walked in. Dai just glared at me. He was upset about me forfeiting the match. He didn't understand why I had done it, until her got a look at my hands. "What happened to you?" he demanded. I glanced down at the now dark red figures. They hung limply at my side, still in a lot of pain. My punching a wall hadn't helped.

"My wrists got crushed during my match with Rock Lee. That's why I had to forfeit. I could barely feel my fingers anymore. They're better now. They'll heal."

"Why don't you have a nurse check them out?" Sadao asked, genuinely concerned, unlike his brother.

"Because I'm also an extremely fast healer on top of being a mind reader. I have a lot of chakra so my cells regenerate quickly. Give me a day or two and they'll be good as new. I promise." Sadao just laughed. I pulled up a chair in between the two beds and chatted with the brothers. I had a great time with them, but finally I was forced to leave. They needed their rest and I was a distraction. I grudgingly obliged to the nurse's pleas.

I wasn't sure what to do with myself afterwards. I wasn't as angry anymore, but I was still confused about the strange pain in my chest. Why had Gaara's actions affected me so deeply? It was kind of like when I lost Miu, but different. It was almost as though he had betrayed me. But how could that be possible? It's not like I thought he wouldn't do something of the sort. He had done it before, after all. Still, it hurt. That's when I caught wind of a conversation not so far away.

"You can't just do things like that, Gaara. Especially not to Nari!" Temari's voice scolded her youngest sibling. "I know you care about her and I know you want her to care for you back. That's exactly why something like today can't happen again. You push her away when you do things like that."

"Gaara, I know you've been putting in an effort to understand these new emotions, but you have to handle these things better. Nari, despite outward appearance, is a sensitive girl. It's too easy to hurt her. You have to avoid doing that," Kankuro added in. I realized they were heading directly towards me. I didn't see any inconspicuous form of escape so I decided to sit against the wall and hope they didn't notice me in the moonlight.

"Your council is appreciated but not necessary," Gaara said as monotonously as ever. I heard both siblings sigh and agree that their efforts were pointless. They took off before they even reached me. _So much for not letting him get away with it_, I thought hotly, my earlier irritation returning.

"Well, my council is probably not going to be appreciated but it sure is necessary," I began, stepping out of the shadows. Gaara paused. He mimicked my stance, crossing his arms as well.

"Good evening, Nari," he greeted me calmly.

"Do not 'good evening' me," I hissed. "You had no right to interfere with my fight. You cost me the match, possibly my title as chuunin and my chance to become jounin. You, unfairly, pushed Rock Lee to win and, yet again, marked me as some toy you can play with whenever it amuses you!" We were in an isolated part of town so I had no fear of interrupting someone's sleep with raised voices. I held my hands up to him. "Take them off," I ordered.

"I won't."

"You will." He shook his head. "Gaara, you don't own me. I'm not a ninja of your village, I'm not your pet, and I'm not your girlfriend. I'm not even your friend. Now take this damnable cuffs off right now." For an instance, I though hurt crossed his features. It was just a flash though and I was sure I had imagined it. That's when all four cuffs crushed my wrists and ankles instantaneously. I collapsed to the ground, a choked cry escaping my mouth. A redheaded figure knelt down beside me and lifted my chin with his fingers. "Why?" I asked, tears streaking down my face.

"I – I don't know," he stuttered, eyes sincerely confused. I glanced up at the moon. It was full. I sighed inwardly; it had been the wrong night to confront him. All of a sudden, I felt myself being lifted from the ground. A bed of sand suspended me in the air. Gaara leapt to the rooftops and took me to his hotel room. He laid me on his bed and I was thankful for the fact that he had the room to himself.

Silence was my only solace as I suffered through the grueling process of resetting each bone fragment one by one with my own chakra. I had to clench my teeth through it all, just barely remaining coherent. Only the renewed instant of betrayal kept me from succumbing to my unconsciousness. "I'm sorry," a soft voice said when I finally managed to sit up. My wrists were still destroyed but I had focused on concentrating my chakra to my ankles so they'd heal and I could leave.

I wanted to say so many things. I wanted to lash out at him again, to attack him, to make him feel the same anguish I did. Only, I couldn't. I knew things just weren't the same for the one-tailed jinchuriki. "It's okay," I finally forgave him. He turned to look at me. I felt the weight of his ice blue gaze but I didn't squirm beneath it.

"Your hands are still injured. You should let them heal."

"They've healed long enough, thanks." I tried slipping past him to the window but he caught my arm. "Gaara, let go of me."

"You should let them heal," he repeated. I clamped my mouth shut and turned away.

"As it pleases you, Lord Kazekage," I spat, stepping away from the window and sitting on the bed, arms crossed. He studied my features but said nothing. "Is there a problem?" I snapped, perhaps a little too harshly.

"I don't like it when you call me that," he admitted. I was taken aback. _He doesn't like me calling him Lord Kazekage? What?_

"Why not?" I inquired. He just shook his head. I must've been really bi-polar because I wasn't angry anymore. In fact, I was starting to regret the entire night. I could've handled the situation better. I knew that. "I'm sorry, Gaara," I whispered. A confused look crossed his face. "For yelling at you and saying I wasn't your friend. I mean, I guess I'm kind of not but… I want to be." He stood up from leaning on the wall and walked over to me.

"I prefer to have a pet." I sighed and closed my eyes. I had to stay calm. I couldn't get mad at him. I felt him pick up my hands and turn them over. He loosened the cuffs and rubbed over my tattered wrists with his thumbs. I winced at first but the motion was soothing. I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his.

"Why?"

"Because then you have to be my friend, whether you want to or not." I couldn't help but to laugh.

"You've never had a pet before, have you?" He shook his head. "Figures. Pets can dislike their masters, you know?" He shook his head again. I just smiled and opened my eyes. He was staring at me, probably waiting for me to look back. Something possessed me at that moment and I leaned closer and kissed him. It was a soft brush of lips, like two feathers crossing paths. It was sweet and I liked it but Gaara jumped away as though he had stuck his hand in fire. I blushed and stared at my now vacant hands.

"I'm sorry," I breathed shakily, not glancing up at him. I didn't want to see the emotions there. The pain I had felt today was already beyond my limit. Then, two fingers pulled my chin up and he kissed me back. It was my turn to pull away. "Shocking, isn't it?" I laughed. He nodded, a faint blush tinting his cheeks as he took hold of my wrists again. "You're very strange, Gaara. Did you know that?" No response.

I had been so intense with trying to figure out Gaara that I hadn't heard Temari's approach. She knocked but let herself in. "Oh, am I interrupting something?" she asked, spotting me. I turned to look at her and shook my head. She had come at the perfect time. "Are you sure? I can come back later…"

"You're fine, Temari," Gaara reassured her. She nodded and stepped in, closing the door behind her. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to tell you that everyone's ready to leave." I stared at her, confused. Was it really morning already?

"Thank you. I'll be out momentarily."

"Take your time," she advised and then disappeared.

"Going home so soon?"

"I'm needed in Suna." I nodded my understanding and waited for him to let go of me but he kept on rubbing at my wrists. I didn't complain. "Goodbye, Nari," he said at last. He went to pull away but I caught him by the hands and kissed him one last time.

"Goodbye, Gaara." Then he collected the few belongings he had brought with him and walked out the door. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. Then, I turned towards the window and headed out myself. I needed to meditate before I ran into someone else. My emotions were still on a high.

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**Yay! The romance has finally been set into motion! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews and I promise there is something greater to come!**


	23. My Moon

**This chapter is really short but I'll be updating again in a couple of days.**

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"You guys might want to get out of the way for this next jutsu," I told Dai and Sadao. I had succeeded in becoming a jounin and joining their team. We were on one of our numerous missions. I had been with them for quite a while now. They knew all of my secrets besides one. They didn't know that I wasn't actually human.

"You sure, Nari?" Sadao asked. I glanced down at my cuffs. They had started to crumble. This had only happened once before, when Gaara had passed out after rescuing Matsuri. That had been with the old cuffs. I didn't know how it'd affect the new, but I certainly didn't want to risk it.

"Positive. Just get back, okay?"

"We'll get out of your way," Yuzuki, Dai and Sadao's sensei, assured me. Technically, they were equals now since both Dai and Sadao had been promoted to chuunin after their second attempt at the Chuunin Exams. I dodged a kick from one of the enemy ninja and started my hands signs. We had been ambushed on our way back to Konoha. The fight was slowly falling to their favor so it was my turn to take the initiative and show them what I had.

"Blast style: firestorm jutsu!" My vision flashed white and my entire body went numb. A loud ringing erupted in my ears before slowing fading to silence. All became dark…

Heavy breathing drew me out of darkness. I glanced around the dark forest, looking for the source of the sound, only to realize it was me. I could also hear my heart beating, physically feel my pulse thrumming through my neck. My sight was blurry, almost as if I was in a dream. I pushed myself to me feet, only to stumble and fall back down. I was numb all across my body. I couldn't feel a thing.

I glanced down at my hands, more like paws. They were stained red. From what? I didn't know. Again, I tried to stand. This time I succeeded and took a step forward. Vertigo seized me and I fell back to the ground. When I stood again, my movements were discombobulated, but I could stand. Around my fifth step, my nervous system seemed to kick back in. I yelped in searing agony, collapsing and writhing on the ground. Fire coursed my veins, backed up by the feeling that someone was slicing me open over a thousand times. Every twitch sent needles stabbing at my muscles. _What happened to me?_

When I finally managed to overcome the pain, something registered in my brain. As I stared at my red paws, which I now guessed were blood-stained, I couldn't help but to think there was something missing. No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't seem to figure out what. Finally, I gave up and stared at the moon, liking it's shape. _I wonder if Gaara's staring at the moon,_ I thought. _Gaara!_ Something was telling me that he was hurt, maybe worse. _Why? Why do I think that?_ If I wanted to be sure, all I had to do was check my cuffs. I glanced at my paws. _My cuffs! They're gone!_ Waves of memories seemed to crash down on me all at once.

I remembered the time Gaara had went after Matsuri. I had been left behind, stuck in council meetings. My cuffs had begun to crumble while he was away but they soon returned to full strength. A couple of days before the ambush yesterday, or whenever that had happened, my cuffs had been crumbling. That's how I knew he was hurt. But where were they now! I forced myself to stand and glance around. There was no sign of them anywhere. _Did I destroy them with the blast?_ I imagined it was my jutsu that had me in such a state. _No, I couldn't have. They were infused with chakra. The only way they could've been destroyed is if Gaara did it himself or if he is… No, no, no. He can't be._ I couldn't bring myself to think the word. I just couldn't.

I glanced at the moon again. Surely, if I followed the moon, it would lead me to Gaara. After all, both Gaara and I enjoyed staring at the moon. Gaara would be there. Maybe that's why the cuffs had disappeared, because Gaara had gone to the moon. It was my best shot, so I took it with everything I had. I dragged myself through the agony, the thirst and the hunger, and followed the moon. It had to take me to Gaara. It had to.

Sometime during my trek, I wound up in a desert. This meant nothing to me until the sun came up. I tried to keep walking in a straight path, to keep following the moon, but I was sure I curved at some point. It wasn't until it rose again that I knew for sure that I had gotten it wrong. I followed the moon again, determined to reach it.

On the second day of this incoherent trip, I saw cliffs in the distance. Somehow, despite my feverish state, my instincts had led me to Suna. Of course, I didn't register just how lucky I was at the time. Instead, I reassured myself that the moon must be inside of the city. At least, my moon had to be, the moon I wanted.

I walked right into the city, too small to be noticed anymore. Unbeknownst to me, I had been subconsciously shrinking to make up for the constant loss of blood and the lack of food and water. I was numb by this point and absolutely delusional. To me, the city was vacant, tragically so. There was no one around. I hobbled straight to the center and into the Kazekage building. I could barely see by this point, too tired to open my eyes. I stumbled along and hopped up steps, literally navigating the building with my eyes closed. Finally, I reached the destination I wanted.

I curled up into a nice ball in some shade and laid down. I could feel it in my soul; I had reached my moon. Now, all I needed to do was wait for nightfall.

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**Thanks for reading; I really do appreciate it. Anyway, on Friday I'll be leaving for a three - four week trip where I may or may not have internet access. This means I can't update :'( and it also means I won't be able read your reviews. So, if you have any suggestions for the story or something that you'd like me to include here's your chance to tell me so I can write it while I'm gone. **

**P.S. I've decided that, instead of including Itachi in this story, I'm going to give him his own one-shot. I'll tell you when I put it up for those who are interested. **


	24. Dependency

**The ellipses in the beginning of this chapter are there to help show that Nari is fading in and out of consciousness. **

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Something dragged me out of my dark spot. I felt light hit my eye lids and whimpered a little as heat hit my body. Concern seemed to seep from whatever was moving me. I wasn't sure why or what it was. It was just very concerned.

"Nari, can you hear me?" I pushed away from the voice, eyes still closed. I wanted to go back to my dark spot. I wanted to wait for my moon…

Whatever had me must have lifted me off the ground. I felt my body shape itself to the arms of my captor, my head elevated above everything else while my tails hung limp to the side. I opened my eyes a little but closed them again from the dizziness of moving. It hurt to try to stay awake…

"What happened to her?" a female voice demanded. Whoever it was, was also deeply concerned. This time I managed to keep my eyes open. Two green orbs stared back into mine. I recognized them almost immediately as Temari's. "She needs water and a doctor," the kunoichi ordered. "Has she responded at all?"

"No." The voice came from my captor and it was flat. It sounded like Gaara and the arms holding me smelt like Gaara, but that was impossible. Gaara was with the moon and the moon was certainly not here. That meant these arms couldn't be real. Maybe if I bit them I could tell whether or not this was Gaara. Blood filled my mouth and I felt as one of the arms beneath me jerked away for a split-second but soon returned. Whoever it was, they sure had nice tasting blood…

"Nari, I need you to let go of Gaara now, okay? You need to let go of him so you can drink some water." I stared into Temari's eyes. That was funny. When had Temari gotten here? And what was she talking about Gaara for? Gaara was with the moon. Suddenly, a bowl of clear fluid was forced into my face. I saw my reflection but behind that reflection, I saw a head of red hair and two blue eyes.

I went to turn fully towards the bowl, to reach Gaara inside, but my teeth were blocked by some sort of fleshy substance. I pulled them out, unsure of how they got there. Then I turned back towards the bowl and plunged my face in, wanting to swim to the bottom where Gaara and the moon awaited. My head was pulled abruptly from the water. "She's completely delusional, isn't she?" a male voice asked. I glanced over the puppet master. Where had he come from? I guessed it didn't matter.

"I think so," Temari responded. _Oh, yeah. She's here too. Wait a second. Where am I? Did I make it to the moon? Are we all with the moon?_ "Nari, drink the water. Don't swim in it." She held a bowl of water to my face again and I suddenly remembered my parched throat. I drank deeply, thankful for the water. Afterwards, I laid back in my captor's arms and wondered silently to where I was…

"I can't do anything for her unless I take her back to my office," an unfamiliar voice said. "I'm not sure if I can even help her there. If all this blood is hers then it's amazing she's still alive. With how small she is, she shouldn't even be able to produce this much blood, let alone lose it." I opened my eyes and studied a woman in medical garb. Perhaps she was a doctor of some sort? _I wonder whom she's treating._

"You may take her." This sentence had come from my captor. For the first time, I turned my head to peer up at his face. I was shocked by what I saw. Gaara stared coolly back down at me. So I had made it to the moon after all. I couldn't have been happier. When I felt hands trying to drag me out of his arms, I'd bet the lives of my teammates that it wasn't going to happen. Without thinking, I dug my teeth into the flesh closest to my mouth. I saw Gaara wince. "Nari, stop biting me." The simple sentence was a command as cold and sharp as an icicle. I didn't withdraw my teeth.

"I don't think she wants to let you go," Kankuro commented. _Kankuro? Where did he come from?_ "She probably thought she had lost you. You have to wonder why it is she's here in the first place. I doubt it was the closest place she could find."

"She needs medical attention," the youngest sibling stated calmly.

"Gaara, I think Kankuro's right. Nothing we say or do is going to make her let go of you, at least, not for a while," Temari agreed.

"Then how am I supposed to treat her?" the doctor-person demanded. _Huh. She's here to treat me._ I felt four pairs of eyes staring at me…

Warm water rinsed over my body, followed by gentle fingers. The sensation was soothing and I slowly felt awareness seeping through my body. I could feel the areas where fur was being tugged out of dried blood as carefully as possible. I noted which spots were tenderer than others and flinched away when the fingers reached them. "I think she's staring to come to again," an unfamiliar voice whispered.

"I was hoping we wouldn't wake her. I'd rather she have her panic attack after we finish cleaning her up." That voice was familiar. It had to be Temari's. Well, if she didn't want me to be awake…

I smelt strips of raw meat in front of my nose while I felt someone trying to pry my mouth open. Whatever I was already biting began to move. I released it, hunger making me happy to accept the raw meat instead. Small pieces were given to me one at a time. I swallowed them whole, not needing to chew on them. They were good, very good, and soon I was full…

►§◄

I yawned, waking slowly. I blinked against the light rapidly and then rubbed my face against my paws. I felt two rough bracelets hit my face. I smiled down at my cuffs, oddly happy to see them. Perhaps it had all been a dream and I was sleeping comfortably in my small apartment in Konoha.

"You're awake," a calm voice pointed out. That's when I realized I was laying on someone's lap. _How unusual_, I thought silently. Suddenly, a new voice intruded my head.

_She seems to be thinking clearly. She has yet to bite me. _Whomever this voice belonged to, I had never heard it before. Oddly, it was familiar with me. Did it belong to the person whose lap I was laying on? I glanced up at said person and was surprised to see Gaara there. He was sitting at his desk, working over documents with an emotion-washed face. He wasn't even looking at me.

Curiosity got the best of me. I tried to plunge into Gaara's thoughts yet again. I was shocked by how easily it was accomplished. I didn't bother with his memories, feeling that that would be an unnecessary invasion of privacy, and swam through his conscious for signs of Shukaku. I found none. Was the demon gone? I decided it couldn't be helped and tossed around Gaara's most recent memories.

I couldn't help but to be slightly embarrassed about my behavior after Gaara found me bleeding out from under his desk. I had bit him several times and refused to let go. I remembered bits and pieces of it, but not much. Still, all of that was washed away when I discovered all he had gone through in the past week. From saving Suna single-handedly, to… to dying, to losing Shukaku. That was amazing and so much to take in. Finally, feeling satisfied, I shook myself from his memories and dwelled on my own thoughts over what had transpired. I was proud of Gaara, and happy that he was finally free from the burden he had carried all his life. He deserved it.

Silence ensued for some time as Gaara fulfilled his duty as Kazekage. When I was up to it, I nudged the now bandaged part of his arm where I had bit him. Part of him curious to what I wanted to do so he unwrapped it and let me have it. I licked the wound with my tongue, cleaning it again and pouring some of my chakra into it so that it'd heal faster. I hadn't meant to hurt him. After I finished, he rewrapped the bandages and we went back to our peaceful silence. I wasn't in any condition to be moving about. My aching muscles and sore skin told me that.

About three hours after I woke up, I heard Temari and Kankuro approaching the Kazekage's office at an alarming rate. _"Calm down, Kankuro," Temari told her younger brother. He didn't slow down or let go of her. He was too excited to see if I was alright. _I buried my face into Gaara's stomach, not looking forward to the upcoming conversation.

"Is she awake?" Kankuro demanded, barging in without knocking. He tended to stay cool and collected but the state I had been in earlier had him scared to death. Being kicked out for the rest of the workday had only made things worse. Upon six thirty's arrival, he was there to see to my wellbeing.

"Yes." Gaara didn't look up from his documents, doing his best to ignore all three of us. I pulled my head away from my moon, for I had finally come to the conclusion that that's what my delusional self had mistaken Gaara for, and twisted it around to try to peer at Temari and Kankuro. In order to see over the desk, I'd have to sit up. I tried to use my front paws as support but whimpered from the pain. They were of no use yet.

"What's wrong with her?" Temari asked. Gaara sighed and closed his eyes. He just wanted to finish the last pile of paperwork before heading home.

"She's pushing herself," he responded. "Let me finish and then you can see her." Kankuro went to protest but Temari glared at him and gestured for them to leave. Grudgingly, the puppet master obeyed. Just a half hour later, Gaara finished and was ready to greet them again. "You can't walk," he assumed. I shook my head and then tried to push myself into a sitting position. He tried to stop me but I was a persistent rat when I wanted to be. I managed to crawl my way up his arm and then wrap myself comfortably around his neck. That way his arms wouldn't be full all the time. He silently admired my ingenuity.

We managed to get to the residential part of the Kazekage building without incident. Temari, Baki, Kankuro, and the doctor from before were all waiting for us in the hall. "She looks better," Temari commented first. The doctor nodded, studying my bandages for any sign of them needing to be changed. I'd have to have a fresh set put on before I went to bed for the night.

"Can you hear us this time, Nari?" Kankuro demanded. I nodded my head, pulling two loose tails back around Gaara's throat. I wasn't holding on so tightly that I'd choke him but I didn't want to fall off. I was hurting enough as it was.

"Does Lady Hokage know your here?" Baki asked softly, always remembering his leader side first. None of the others had even thought to ask that. I shook my head. I didn't really want to think about it. I wasn't sure if my teammates had survived the explosion. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know. "I'll send her a message." I nodded, grateful. I had to keep her informed of my whereabouts. He left to get it done immediately. The rest of the night was spent with various "yes, no" questions; most of which I either couldn't answer, or didn't want to. Finally, after the doctor had an opportunity to change my bandages, Gaara sent his siblings off and went to the roof. He removed me from my perch and set me beside him, placing a hand atop my head. We stared up at the moon in contentment.

►§◄

A small knock on the door alerted us to my doctor's presence. I was laying besides Gaara's desk in his office. I had just finished ripping off the bandages on my front legs and was busy licking the wounds. They weren't as bad as the day before thanks to my focus on healing them all through the night. I should've slept but I'd have plenty of time for that today. Last night I had been unable to take human form so it seemed I was stuck as is for a while.

"Come in," Gaara told our visitor. The woman stepped in. I had made a conscious decision not to learn her name. I didn't like doctors but I had no reason to dislike her. If I learned her name when I was no longer her patient, I'd give her a fair chance.

"May I take a look at her?" the woman asked, glancing at me. The Kazekage nodded. She walked over and knelt in front of me, lifting up my head to study my eyes. She forced open my jaws and examined my teeth. Then she went to checking my wounds. "You shouldn't take off your… My goodness. How did you recover so fast?" She was noting the apparent difference between my forelegs and how they looked the day before. "Did you focus your chakra to do this?"

I nodded my head and then showed her why by pushing myself into a sitting position. That small feat had been impossible the day before. "But why do you want to sit up so bad?" I sat up as straight as possible, bared my teeth, and raised the little portion of my hackles that weren't held down by bandages. I growled menacingly, looking stronger and more fearsome than I was. "You really are smart," she realized. Before, she had seen me as just another animal.

"Nari can take human form," Gaara informed the doctor. "Her ability to shape-shift into the animal you see before you is a recent gift of hers she only managed to utilize less than five years ago. She was once an ambassador here from Konoha and her council was deeply respected by the leaders of Suna. She's not just some beast."

"I'm sorry, Lord Kazekage. I didn't mean to offend you or Nari." He just nodded, not having looked up once from his papers. I relaxed and laughed. It almost sounded like a cough but both of them understood what it was supposed to be. "I'm guessing you don't have the energy to take human form," she assumed. I nodded although I was fairly sure there was a deeper reason for my inability to shift than that. She just nodded and finished her examination of me, and then tending to my bandages.

"I'm not a skilled veterinarian and I've never worked with mammals before but I advise making sure she drinks plenty of water and has three well-rounded meals a day. I can't force her to sleep but those two things should be followed."

"When should she be fully recovered?" Gaara asked, showing no sign of his agreement or disagreement to her statement.

"It's hard to say. As I've said, I'm not used to treating mammals. The condition of her internal organs is a mystery to me. Not only that, but Nari is an unusual patient to even the most experienced veterinarians. It could take her month to heal. Then again, it could take her a couple of days. If I might make a request for the duration of her recovery…" Gaara nodded. "Don't let her walk around. If she is to be transported, have her carried. She shouldn't participate in any form of physical exercise." I yipped in protest.

"Very well," the Kazekage agreed. I turned towards him, astonished. I was a machine pumping out a hell of a lot more energy than a ball of fur my size should carry. How did he expect me to remain motionless throughout the day? Not to mention bathroom breaks… I immediately let my protests be known. "You are dismissed," he told the doctor. I kept up with my yapping until he finally acknowledged me. "Silence, Nari, or I'll have Kankuro remove you from my presence." I stopped abruptly and laid back down to seethe in silence.

I shouldn't have worried about my natural needs. Gaara took me outside to relieve myself every couple of hours. It was embarrassing, sure, but necessary. Afterwards, he'd pick me up and put me on his shoulders so that I could wrap myself around his neck. This was how he carried me about, silently agreeing not to leave me. I imagined Temari and Kankuro had had some sort of talk with him but I decided not to pry into his memories. He wasn't even aware that I could read his mind yet.

"This is for you, Nari," he said as I was fading in and out of consciousness. We were sitting in his office. He had been working over some mission requests but had stopped when a hawk flew in. He had opened the letter and was reading over it when he realized that it was probably important for me to read as well. I lifted my head and looked down, reading over the scroll myself. Lady Tsunade had written it to help inform Gaara of what had occurred:

"I'm pleased to report that her teammates are alive, although all three suffered major burns." At this, I jumped in glee, causing me to fall of Gaara's shoulders and onto the ground. I moaned a little but he picked me up and situated me again so I could keep reading. "Their captain reported that they were on their way back to Konoha when they were ambushed by ninja from the Hidden Mist. As the battle began to fall out of their favor, Nari took the initiative and performed an explosive jutsu. They were unable to recover her after the jutsu and presumed her to be dead. I have already told them that the situation proved otherwise."

"Why weren't you wearing my cuffs?" he asked. I had been expecting this question. He had come to the conclusion that the explosion was actually one of my chakra explosions. He also deduced that the cause for that event had been due to the lack of his cuffs during the performance of my jutsu.

"Did you find a way to take them off?" I shook my head and gingerly licked at his cheek. It was time to give him a hint that I had access to his brain. I pulled up the memory of his death. I figured that that was why the cuffs had vanished. "Did they come off on their own accord? Were they destroyed?" I nodded. He hadn't noticed my tampering. No one ever seemed to notice. "When I…?" I nodded again so that he didn't have to finish that sentence. We sat in silence for a while.

"For someone who refuses to acknowledge their role as a pet, you are very dependent of me," he noted. That's when I realized just how oblivious Gaara was to emotions. That sentence hadn't been meant to get a rise out of me. He had no want to upset me or invoke some sort of argument. He didn't even find it to be offending. To him, it was a simple fact. I brought my teeth to his neck and nipped good-naturedly. I was too close for his sand to be able to protect him and he needed to be mindful of what he said. I'd forgive him this time but next time I'd have no such regards.

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**Thank you for reading and please review. This is my last post for a while due to the trip I mentioned, but I think it's a good chapter to leave off on. Anyway, have a great summer!**


	25. Awkward

**So I just got back from my vacation and, as I had suspected, there was no internet access. That's alright though because I didn't do a whole lot of writing anyway. But enough about me, here's the next chapter.**

**_This chapter is dedicated in part to WarFlower. Thank you for the idea. I hope I didn't disappoint_****.**

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Two weeks passed and I was still unable to take human form. I was recovering nicely, though. I had begun to regain the ability to walk and I was well enough that I was taking whole prey instead of strips of meat. I didn't know who went and caught the jack rabbits for me, but I appreciated it.

I was lying in a puddle of blankets just behind the Kazekage's desk. Temari had had it made for me so that I could rest comfortably as Gaara did his duty. This also allowed me to keep a watchful eye on him and Suna. I still didn't know the reason behind it, but Gaara and I had yet to be separated since he found me.

Suddenly, a soft tapping came upon the door. Gaara gave our visitor permission to enter. I cocked my head to the side at the strange sight. He looked like one of the regular servants but he certainly didn't smell like one, nor did his mind suggest he was one. Another imposter had infiltrated Suna. "Here's your tea, Lord Kazekage," the man said respectfully, placing the cup on Gaara's desk.

"Thank you," Gaara said dismissively, reaching towards the cup. I growled hotly but Gaara was already two-steps ahead of me. He had noticed a slight behavioral difference between the servant today and the servant from all the days before. He was checking for poisons while working on a document. He detected one so he set the cup aside and immediately called the servant back to retrieve Kankuro. The man did as he was bid and returned soon afterwards.

"Yes, Gaara?" Kankuro asked as he walked in, eyeing the servant suspiciously. He shut the door behind him to allow the man no escape.

"That one is an imposter," Gaara said simply. I couldn't help but to be amused by the turn of events. Someone had tried to poison him and Gaara acted as if it were a simple matter handled with ease. I wondered how many assassination attempts had occurred during his short time as Kazekage. Then I remembered all those that had happened when he had been a child. He was probably accustomed to such things by now. Not to mention, he had already died once.

Kankuro also handled the situation with relative ease. Once he and the imposter were gone, I stretched and stood up. I wasn't completely healed so it hurt to move too much but there was something I wanted to do. Gaara was a bit of a workaholic and it was far after the workday's end. I walked over to his chair and tugged on the end of his robe with my teeth. He glanced down at me, knowing he wouldn't get away with ignoring me.

"Yes?" he asked softly. I gestured to the door with my head. He frowned. I tugged insistently. Finally, he sighed and bent over to pick me up. He put me on his shoulders and stood, ready to depart. He left his things as they were, having already dumped out the lethal cup of tea. Then he strode out of his office, shutting the lights off behind him. Outside, I tugged on his ears to take him in the direction I wanted. Realization soon dawned on him as we reached our destination.

"I don't sleep, Nari," he stated simply, arms crossed. We were standing in his bedroom. Since he had refused to move to the Kazekage's traditional corridors, he had remained in the bedroom diagonal from mine. His was fairly larger and his bed was practically set into the wall. The one-person mattress was elevated at least two feet above the floor and an overhang, equipped with curtains, was built into the wall.

I squirmed down from my perch and nudged him towards the bed. We both knew his statement wasn't exactly true. Even Gaara had to sleep a little bit. He tended to do it as little as possible as if he was afraid of sleeping. I wasn't surprised by that. He had been forced to carry Shukaku, the demon of chaos, after all. This would be the first time he had slept since losing the demon.

After arguing silently with an unrelenting ex-jinchuriki, I decided to give him the puppy dog eyes. I crawled over to his bed and somehow managed to jump up. Then I turned the full force of my animal eyes on him, begging silently. "No." I kept up at it. I didn't want to be the only one of us to sleep tonight. Five minutes passed and then he gave in. I smiled gleefully as he removed his robe and joined me on the mattress in only a pair of black pants.

"I doubt I'll sleep," he informed me as he laid down on top of the covers. I showed no sign of hearing him. Gaara stretched out along the bed, resting his head on a pillow. I spread myself out along the side of him closest to the wall. His left arm was behind his head but his right arm wrapped around me gently as he closed his eyes. I was more than pleased with his comfort in my presence. Then again, that could be because he truly did see me as a pet. I decided not to let that ruin my mood.

Closing my eyes as well, I wrapped two tails along his lower thigh. Two more wrapped around the arm encasing me, while I used one to cover my face as I placed my head on his bare chest. Of course, I couldn't help but to admire his lean, tone physique. There was one last thing I wanted to do before I succumbed to my unconscious. I wanted to make sure Gaara fell asleep too.

Being rather unsocial, I wasn't familiar with how to sooth someone to sleep. Instead, I decided to use a method I'd have liked to try on myself. I pulled up good memories of his childhood and past and let them wash over him. Anything that was peaceful, anything that comforting, I forced onto him again. Soon enough, he relinquished the battle and slept. I followed soon after.

►§◄

When I woke up, I couldn't help but to notice that the feel of Gaara's skin had become heightened. It no longer felt as though a layer of fur protected us from contact. Unwilling to move if he was still sleeping, I cautiously checked his mind. He was wide awake and had been for quite some time now. He was simply waiting to see how I'd react, mostly because he wanted to know how he should've.

"How he should've reacted to what?" I whispered to myself. I froze suddenly, entire body becoming hyperaware of my position. No longer a fox, I had intertwined one leg around his while one hand rested on his chest next to my head and the other wrapped around my stomach. I flinched away from him as if he was a hot stove. The worst part? The only remains of my once whole uniform, was a pair of black shorts, my scroll pouch, and little tatters of what used to be my shirt clinging to patches of dried blood.

"My apologies, Lord Kazekage," I said, mortified. I crossed my arms over my bare chest, not like there was much to cover. By now, though, I had begun to accept that fact. He was confused by this, letting my formal address slip by without notice. It wasn't as if I was showing him anything he hadn't showed me. "Oh, but it's different, Gaara. I'm a girl." I realized I had slipped again, revealing my insight into his mind.

"You can read my thoughts?" The young Kage was sincerely perplexed.

"Ugh, just let me get dressed and I'll explain, okay?" He tilted his head in confusion, honestly not seeing what the issue was.

"You may use my robe to cover yourself as you go to your room," he finally said.

"Thank you," I muttered, climbing over his legs with relative ease to try to lessen how awkward the situation was. I retrieved his discarded robe from the night before and quickly left the room, my cheeks flaming. To my utter despair, Temari caught me.

"Nari, what are you doing?" she demanded, assuming the worst.

"I'll explain later," I sighed.

"You'll explain now." I glared at her and grabbed her hand, pulling her into my room after me. As soon as I was in the safety of my corridors, I slipped out of Gaara's robe, not liking what wearing it implied. While bending over to get a new outfit, I yelped in agony, my knees collapsing from beneath me. I thought it had hurt to move as a nine-tailed fox…

"You look worse, if that's possible," the kunoichi pointed out. I glanced at my arms. They were covered in wounds that I was sure I had healed. "Why aren't you healed?" she asked, slightly worried.

"I'm only going to give you one answer so choose a question," I snapped, perhaps a little too harshly. I didn't want to be berated with inquiries. I just wanted to sit down and meditate so I could clear my mind.

"Why are you slipping out of my baby brother's bedroom with nothing but _his_ robe and a pair of shorts on?" I pursed my lips. I had been hoping she'd go with the other question. I stood, unclasped my pouch, and put it on the dresser, pulling out my white, council robes. They'd be easier on my sensitive skin. I ripped off the remaining tatters of my uniform and then slipped on the new set of clothing. Then I turned to face the worried, yet elated, sister.

"Last night, _as a fox_, I urged Gaara to lay down and try to sleep. I laid beside him and when he succumbed, I did too. I woke up this morning, suddenly in human form, in nothing but shorts. That's _all_ that happened." She glared at me.

"Is that all you wanted to happen?" I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Temari, I panicked when I woke up and realized what had occurred. I hightailed out of there as fast as I could. It's just – It's so… wrong!" I crossed my arms again and shivered at the thought. I felt violated enough as is; I didn't need to imagine what could've occurred. Then again, I wasn't sure if Gaara was even aware of such activity. I mean, he had to be partly but… He was a strange boy. Who knew what he was and wasn't aware of when it came to such matters?

"Nari! You could've hurt his feelings."

"Trust me, his feelings are fine. He didn't even know how to react himself. He was waiting for me to wake up to see what I would do. Anyway, I'm his pet. Remember?" She strolled over to me and put a gentle hand on my cheek.

"You're only his pet because he doesn't understand what else to make of you. He cares about you and he trusts you. He enjoys your company and wants to make sure you're alright. Did you even notice he hasn't left you since you showed up until now, when_ you_ fled?" I had noticed and part of me was still keeping tabs on him. The Kazekage was currently showering for the upcoming day and I was doing my best not to intrude. Usually I'd lay outside the bathroom door as he did his business.

"You're trying to say he loves me," I deduced, slightly skeptical.

"Gaara does love you! Ever since that night in Konoha, he's constantly checked up on you. He writes to the Hokage at least once a month under the pretenses that he's making sure his cuffs are still working properly. Why do you think there hasn't been a squad sent to retrieve you? Lady Hokage knows that you're here and that you're injured, but she also knows that he'll make sure you're safe and well taken care of." I blushed at the mention of that night. I could almost feel the ghost of his lips against mine.

"But still…," I protested in an attempt to conceal my true thoughts.

"But nothing. I know something happened between the two of you that night; I just don't know what. When I find out, Nari Ninetails, you better hope he's there to protect you because, if I discover you led him on and aren't returning his feelings, I will beat you like wild beast you are." I gulped. Temari's threats were not to be taken lightly.

"Temari, I don't understand these feelings any better than he does. Not when I'm the one experiencing them. Besides, he doesn't think he loves me. He sincerely sees me as his pet. I've read his mind. I would know."

"I thought you couldn't read Gaara's mind."

"With Shukaku gone, his mind is open to me. Anyway, back to the subject at hand please."

"You can read his mind and you're telling me he doesn't love you?" She was incredulous but I nodded. "Read deeper, Nari. I'm sure you'll find something there."

"He's in the shower," I stated, frustrated by her pushiness. She laughed.

"Fine, later then. But, be warned, I'm watching you."

"Yeah, yeah…," I sighed, leaning against me dresser. She turned to leave. "Wait a second. Do – do you think you can get off duty long enough to go to the hospital with me? I think it's time I see a real doctor."

"Oh, I'm sure I know who would be delighted to go." I went to argue that that wasn't what I meant but decided not to. She had known what I wanted anyway but she was punishing me for being so negative. I just let it go and went to the bathroom to scrub my face and brush my hair. When I finally made it to the hallway, Gaara and Kankuro were talking. The puppet master glanced up at me and smirked. Temari and Gaara had just finished telling him all about it… Flames engulfed my cheeks.

"What's up sleep-shifter?" he began.

"Shut up, Kankuro," I retorted, walking right by with my head held high.

"Come on, Nari. I'm just teasing you." I pouted a little and turned back around, wanting to keep the little pride I still had intact.

"Good morning, Gaara," I said to the redhead, trying to make up for my earlier behavior.

"Nari," he acknowledged me with a slight inclination of his head. I went to leave.

"So you're really as flat-chested as a guy, huh?" the elder brother demanded. I face-palmed.

"Yes, I'm flat-chested. Can we please not have this conversation?"

"But my little brother slept in the same bed as a topless girl. I need to have all the details from both parties. I already have Gaara's side of the story."

"Look, I shifted when I was asleep. Apparently, the explosion that tore my body to shreds also managed to incinerate the majority of my shinobi uniform. It was unexpected and… extremely mortifying. Can I go now?"

"No. What made you shift? Were you dreaming?" I paused at the second question. Had I been dreaming? No. That was odd. Now that I thought about, I hadn't had my usual hallway dream since being found by Gaara. _Why?_ "Nari," Kankuro drawled out, snapping me back to reality.

"I'm working on a theory," I told him. "And, no, I wasn't dreaming. I'm leaving now." I turned to go but Gaara called me back.

"Temari said that she's having Matsuri escort you." I cocked my head to the side. _Matsuri? Why would she want Gaara's student to go with me?_

"Well, okay… I guess. Do you know where she is?"

"She should be outside." I bobbed my head and left before Kankuro could get another word in. She was just outside the Kazekage building, waiting for me slightly impatiently. I gestured towards her to follow me. _So this is Gaara-sensei's close friend._

"You're Matsuri, correct?" I asked politely. She nodded.

"And you're Nari, right?" I confirmed that and walked on. _She's kind of creepy looking but she's very silent, like Gaara-sensei._ I found it fascinating to listen to her assess me. Her thoughts weren't offensive, but she wasn't very nice either. I could already tell that she was jealous of me.

We arrived at the hospital soon enough. Matsuri stayed outside for the initial exam but she demanded to be there for the results. _Nosy_ _brat_, I thought nonchalantly. She sat down in a seat next to the bed and waited patiently for the doctor to explain the situation as one nurse wrapped my ribs in bandanges.

"Most of the damage to your internals organs is minimal. You might be sore but they should heal in due time. Your chakra system is going to need at least two full months to heal and I'm afraid that you have three fractured ribs, eleven torn muscles, and your spinal cord suffered significant damage."

"Would that explain why I'm not really feeling the pain that it sounds like I should?" I wondered aloud. The man nodded as the nurse bandaging me snorted. _Goodness, this girl is a piece of _work, the woman thought. _All of that and she's walking around like it's nothing. She has to be in some pain._

"Externally, you have a series of burns ranging from second to third degree. You also have a sunburn, multiple lacerations, and a series of scrapes that appear to be from getting hit by highspeed sand," the doctor continued. "All around, you should heal on your own but there is some bad news. I'm afraid that whatever injured you ripped your uterus to shreds." _Uterus?_

"What's that mean?" I inquired. Matsuri's jaw dropped.

"Nari, that means you can't have kids!"

►§◄

The walk back to the Kazekage's building was held in awkward silence. I didn't understand what was so bad about my situation. First off, after the explosion that killed Miu and Takeo, I had been told that I would never regain use of my arms. Here they were, fully functional. Secondly, so what if I couldn't have children? I had read the "Mating" scroll. Pregnancy for my species meant all sorts of trouble. I'd be better off if I didn't run that risk. Of course, it's not like there'd ever be a risk. Perhaps it was childish of me but I couldn't see myself doing something like _that_. Not to mention, I didn't want children. They were practically guaranteed to be like me and nine-tailed ninja couldn't raise their nine-tailed ninja offspring.

"How are you going to tell Gaara-sensei?" Matsuri finally uttered.

"Gaara? Why would I tell him?"

"It affects Gaara-sensei." She stared up at me incredulously, not understanding what was going through my head.

"How so?" She blanched.

"Um… You two… I mean, aren't you – aren't you two dating?" I cocked my head to the side. Where had she come up with that ridiculous notion?

"We're not dating. Gaara and I are just friends. What made you think otherwise?"

"Oh, well… You're around each other all the time and you spent two weeks literally not separating from him. You seem to be really close." I shrugged.

"No. I'm not going to tell him. There's no need to triffle him with such information. He'll probably find out from Temari, she's always putting her nose in my business, but that's all."

"You're not going to tell him at all?" she demanded, slightly upset.

"No…"

"How could you not tell him? I thought you said he was your friend. You're supposed to tell your friends things like this." _If he finds out that she can't have children, maybe he won't want her anymore_, the child thought. I shot a glare at Matsuri.

"This isn't because you have a crush on Gaara, is it?" I inquired. She was starting to irritate me but I was careful to keep my temper in check.

"No…"

"How does this help you?"

"Well, if he knows you can't have kids, maybe he'll realize that there are better options. I mean, someone like you doesn't deserve someone like Gaara-sensei." I blinked in astonishment and stepped in front of her, crossing my arms. Who was this girl to decide who I did and didn't deserve?

"_I_ don't deserve someone like Gaara? Do explain." She wasn't backing down, the foolish little thing. Didn't she realize how easy it would be for me to kill her, even with my injuries?

"You're inconsiderate, and creepy, and depressing to be around. You keep killing your friends and abandoning your teammates. Everyone knows that the only reason why the Hidden Leaf haven't come to pick you up is because they don't want you back. That means you're not a very good ninja. In fact, I'm willing to bet you're a nuisance to your village. What have you done for them, after all?"

"And where did you hear all of this?"

"Everyone talks about it." I clenched my teeth and resisted the urge to hit her. Matsuri was a good child; I knew that. If she was spitting out all of this information, then someone must have fed it to her.

"I've done plenty more for my village than is anyone's due. And the reason why I haven't been retrieved? The Hokage knows that Gaara and I are close and instead of forcing me to sit in a hospital room until I recooperate, she's let me stay and enjoy some time off, so don't go talking about how I'm not a good ninja. I'll tell you what, instead of punching you, I'm going to go cool off. In return, you're going to tell Temari that I'm alright and I'll be back in the morning. Understood?" She nodded, seeing the anger in my eyes and went inside where as I disappeared.

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**I hope you enjoyed and you guys deserve a heads up: I've been having a really hard time writing the next chapter. I've tried it a ton of different ways and I can't seem to get it to where I like it so sorry if the next update takes awhile. **


	26. Acceptance

**So, you know what I've discovered I have a really bad problem with? Getting distracted while writing. Honestly, I'll just be sitting there, typing away, and BAM! "I wonder what's the point of a unicorn's horn? Let's google it! Oh, nobody knows? Okay then. Now, what was I doing...? That's right! Writing about Gaara and Nari. Duh!" *Starts typing* Five minutes later: "Do octopi poop out of their mouths?" And that, my dear readers, is why I normally have such a hard time updating. You wouldn't know that with this story since I waited a couple chapters before I put it online but normally... **

**Anyway, thanks for listening to me rant. Enjoy!**

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I sat along the back wall, as far as I could get from the village entrance. That was where Kankuro and Temari were frantically searching for me. I had been on the move since midafternoon. I'd probably only have a few moments of peace before I had to flee again. While I waited, I stared down at my arms, rethinking my theory.

I had come to the conclusion that my recent lack of control over my shape shifting was due to the extent of the damage I had suffered. As a nine-tailed fox, I was small and therefore healing would take less time and energy. Not to mention, I could shrink to make up for the loss of blood. I had probably taken human form so that my body could finish healing. Since it took more energy, I figured that when my human form fully healed, my nine-tailed fox one would too.

"They're looking all over for you," a cold voice told me from behind. Gaara had started tailing me after he finished working. He had decided to leave me alone, figuring I'd reveal myself when I felt like it but, with the sun setting, he felt a need to quicken the pace. He refused to have both his siblings searching inside and outside of the village at night.

"I'm well aware of that," I sighed. He waited for me to go on. I had a suspicious feeling he'd stop talking altogether when he felt I could differentiate what he wanted a response to and what he didn't. I wouldn't mind that, it just meant I'd have to open my mind towards his more. It'd also give me an excuse for checking in on him.

_You and Matsuri got into a fight on the way back from the hospital_, he pointed out, wanting to get this conversation moving. I crossed my arms and peered at him as he sat down beside me. "Yes, I suppose we did." He made a silent usher for me to continue. "Our opinions are just very different. And she had some misinformation. It happens."

"Then why haven't you come back?"

"Because I didn't feel like it yet. I'm just hanging out for a little while." At this, he was perplexed. He knew I was more of a solitary person but I rarely just sat around. Unless I was really thinking about something, I had to be in action whether that be training, fighting, or simply walking around. "I had some things to figure out."

"Nari, you don't have to hide things from me." I was surprised by this sentence. It was so… normal. I hadn't been expecting anything like it all.

"I know that…"

"Then why are you shy around me?"

"Shy? I'm not shy. I mean, I like my privacy but I'm not _shy_. In fact, I'm extremely open around you. You know more about me than anyone else does." The only things that came to his mind were this morning and whatever I had been told during the medical exam that neither Temari nor I were sharing. Apparently, he hadn't been given the chance to interrogate Matsuri.

"You're not going to give me an explanation," he assumed. I sighed and pushed a stray wisp of hair back.

"Look, there are just some things I, as a female, don't want you, a male, to know about. That's not a crime, is it?"

"You have access to all my thoughts and memories and yet you won't share with me the results of a medical exam?" I glared over at him.

"While I might have access to it, I do not delve through your memories at any given moment. In fact, I still know almost nothing about your childhood and how you went from a sad, little boy to a cold-blooded murderer. Don't accuse me of abusing me abilities like that."

"Nari, you know that's…"

"I know," I breathed, resting my chin in my hand and strumming me fingers against my cheek. I gnawed on my lower lip as I tried to come up with the right response. "Alright, so Matsuri and I got into a little bit more than a simple disagreement." He nodded, glad we were finally getting to the point of this conversation. "I'd do anything to protect my village and those I care about. I'd sacrifice everything for them because they're all I've ever had. Why is it, then, that I'm disrespected like some worthless, little brat who's in way over her head?"

"Because everything good you've done, you've been unable to take credit for." My head popped up and I glanced over at Gaara. Pale blue eyes peered back into mine, waiting for some sort of reaction. _Is he right? Has everything that I've done been done in secret? _I really thought over it for a while and realized he was right. No one knew that I was the one who got the Council to consider peace with Konoha. No one knew about the countless decisions I helped make for the good of Suna, including the one about making Gaara the Kazekage. Even I didn't recognize the countless missions I did with, and without, the help of a team for the good of Konoha. I had never taken credit for any of it.

"But ninjas aren't supposed to flaunt the good things they've done. They're just supposed to be pleased with themselves for their accomplishments and people are supposed to respect them because they know that they've devoted their lives to help the people of their village."

"Yes, but every time something unfortunate has happened to you, you were blamed. The deaths of Miu and Takeo were blamed on you, even though we both know it was their own fault. They had plenty of time to follow your instructions and you were just trying to complete your mission. The explosion you're still recovering from was my fault, in a sense, but you've been accused of abandoning your teammates on an important mission. It is the lack of understanding in those that surround you that have condemned you, not you yourself."

I smiled a little and hugged him. As always, he was slightly shocked, but soon returned the love. There were so many feelings welling up inside of me, so many things I wanted to say. How could a mere "thank you" express the gratitude I felt? Not only that, but as I remained in his arms, I couldn't help but to feel like this was right. This was where I belonged. _After so long, I think I've finally found someone I love. And maybe, just maybe, he actually loves me back._

"Nari? Gaara?" I jolted out of Gaara's embrace as I heard the newcomer's voice. Kankuro stood there, gaping at us, while Temari crossed her arms and smirked. "What…? How…? When…?" Kankuro couldn't even figure out a question to ask.

"Want us to come back?" Temari offered.

"That's alright. We're done here." Gaara looked at me, silently making sure I agreed as he stood. I nodded and followed suit, smoothing out my robes.

"So, Nari…," Temari began, thinking about the secret she thought I should tell her brother.

"Give me a month, Temari. If it's not better by then, then I'll tell him. Otherwise, it's pretty much a worthless worry."

"You may not be here in a month!" I shrugged.

"They said my arms wouldn't heal and look at them, not even a scar."

"Your arms?" all three questioned at once.

"Oh, that's right. I never told any of you. The explosion that killed my teammates during the invasion also tore my arms to shreds. See? It was pointless for me to tell you because they healed."

"Nari, you do realize that extreme healing can shorten your lifespan, right?" Kankuro pointed out.

"The father of my species is immortal and the average lifespan for a nine-tailed ninja is about two-hundred-and-twenty years. And that's only because most blow themselves up. In fact, the supposed last nine-tailed ninja before me even wrote in his scrolls that there's a high possibility that there are more nine-tailed ninja out there he's never heard of because they were born so long ago. There are even some suspicions that the original nine-tailed ninja is still alive in the wild somewhere. I doubt I have to worry about shortening my lifespan because of my healing abilities." He didn't have a comeback.

"Two weeks," Temari argued, completely ignoring mine and Kankuro's exchange.

"Fine." Gaara just stood there, watching us. He felt out of place but I was glad he was there. That way, at least, he knew I'd be willing to share if it was important.

"We going to go eat dinner now?" Kankuro suggested after a few moments of silence. I laughed and nodded. We headed back to the Kazekage building and into the dining room. Temari offered to cook and I eagerly joined her, curious about how people actually went about preparing normal meals. I found it to be a strange process, especially when she started discarded parts of the animal.

"Why would you do that? You can eat it, can't you?"

"Maybe you can, Nari. But we humans do not eat the kidneys of a chicken." I frowned and crossed my arms. _What a waste!_ I scoffed silently. "I mean, if you really want to, I could cook them for you but the rest of the chicken is much better." I sighed and just let it be. I really wasn't in any mood to eat. In fact, I think the injuries were starting to catch up to me again. I felt nauseous and moving was starting to become a struggle. I closed my eyes and breathed, forcing the pain to subside.

Finally, after about an hour and a half, dinner was served. They each dished their own plates but Temari refused to allow me to dish my own. She made me a plate, saying that I had to eat all of it, even the plants. Thankfully, it was a small meal compared to their own. I guess she figured I probably wasn't that hungry.

"Anything interesting happen today at work, Gaara?" Kankuro asked, trying to start conversation.

"No." The puppet master narrowed his eyes but tried again.

"Discover anything about yourself, Nari?"

"I can't shift into a nine-tailed fox until I'm fully healed."

"Why not?" I shrugged.

"I think it's because the human body takes longer to heal than the fox body. Therefore, when the human body is fully healed, the fox body will be also, whereas when the fox body is fully healed, the human body still needs time. Well, that's just what I'm guessing, anyway. Yourself?"

"I discovered my baby brother has a girlfriend." Both Gaara and I froze. I could read minds and I still didn't see that coming.

"Really, Kankuro? You couldn't have given them more time to figure things out," Temari scolded him.

"They were hugging!"

"That doesn't mean anything." As the two of them got into an argument, I did my best to keep eating and ignore Gaara's thoughts. He was secretly wondering what I thought of the situation, and what exactly having a girlfriend entailed. The churning in my stomach and the strange sensation in my chest got worse. That combined with physical pain, was too much for me to handle. I stood up abruptly.

"I'm going to bed," I announced, stopping the bickering siblings in their tracks.

"Why, Nari?" Temari asked.

"I'm tired," I lied.

"But you didn't do anything today _and_ you slept last night," Kankuro protested.

"I'm healing."

"You're in pain," Temari realized. "I thought you were being unusually quiet."

"I'll escort you to your room," Gaara offered, wanting to get out of this situation as much as I did. I just nodded and followed him out. We strolled through the halls side-by-side. "May I ask you a favor?" He was thinking about the night before. He had sincerely enjoyed the peaceful slumber. No, he wasn't exactly tired, but he wanted to stay with me and if I were going to bed, he'd join me.

"I don't mind," I answered. "And I can lull you to sleep again, if you want?"

"You lulled me to sleep?"

"Not really. I just kept bad thoughts out of your head and soothed you with peaceful memories." _Why did you do that?_ "Because I didn't want you to have nightmares. I wanted you to enjoy your sleep." He was shocked by this act of kindness. That's when I realized the strange sensation I felt in my chest, he felt too, but he had a name for it; love. Yes, I had finally found someone I loved.

We silently agreed to sleep in his bedroom. As I lay there, once again in his arms, my hand on is bare chest, I couldn't help but to think over my realization. Gaara knew that he loved me. It was the depth of his love he didn't understand. That's why he thought of me as a pet, especially since I was always trying to push him away. Temari had been right. "Gaara?"

"Yes?"

"I…," I almost confess my feelings but I couldn't seem to do it. "I'm glad I'm your pet." _That's good enough for now, I suppose_, I thought to myself. I then curled up tighter against his side, making it obvious that this wasn't up for discussion. I felt his gratitude before I smoothed his thoughts out for sleep.

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**Sorry that this chapter was short but I'm very pleased with it. It only took me THREE WEEKS to write, but I think it's perfect now. Well, thanks for reading and please review.**


	27. Where I Belong

**I apologize for how long this update took but my friend insisted I try some new anime and guess what I discovered. Black Butler! I know it's a sad excuse, especially since I watched both seasons already, but that is simply one hell of a show. I definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it before.**

**Well, anyway. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

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My eyes peeled open slowly, my mind groggy as I first awoke. I felt something warm beside me, underneath of me, all around. I curled against this granter of warmth, seeking to be ever closer. It was almost as if I couldn't get close enough. Then, my littler ball of warmth began to stir. I felt new thoughts, worries, stress invading my warmth. I fought against it, wiping such things away. The warmth became still.

Finally, I began to piece things together. It was a slow process, morbidly slow, but it worked. "Gaara," I breathed, lifting my face to stare at his. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. All those worries, the dread. It disappeared when he slept. That was the magic of our connection, because I knew the same thing happened to me. Yet, sleeping apart, the nightmares were abundant and unfair.

I pushed my unsightly bangs and sat up, rubbing at my eyes. I felt his fingers drop away from my bare skin, yet I did not give his brain a chance to try to awaken. I had never been so intertwined with another mind, and I found that I could do a great many things that had been out of my reach before. For example, I could project my thoughts into his mind, as clear as day. I could completely wipe away thoughts that I found to my disliking. I could stop him from waking, and I could force him to sleep. But Gaara was my master and he knew of my tampering. I'd never keep such a thing from him.

Suddenly, the arm that always held me snug wrapped firmly around my waist, tugging me closer. The warmth of his skin against mine was something I delighted in. Ever since he had convinced me to sleep in just a pair of shorts, I felt more comfortable with him than ever. We had no secrets from the other. How could we?

For weeks, our relationship had been like this, a serene calm. Even with the shinobi world going mad over the Akatsuki, together, we could stand in the eye of the storm. Rumors were spreading like wildfire. Were we going to get married? Am I a paid escort of some kind? Whatever could our relationship mean? But all of this was well contained by myself and the Council. These rumors were nothing more than fleeting gossip from one Sand villager to the next. They would never escape the walls.

As I lay there, thinking, I couldn't help but to wonder what was going to happen today. Gaara had been trying to convince Lady Tsunade to consider handing me over to Suna. The negotiations between the two were slow going, but they had finally come to an agreement. Gaara had asked me to say out of it, and I agreed. We shared everything else. He deserved the one privacy.

_I can't lay here any longer,_ I thought remorsefully. _I need to move. Some fresh air and a little training would be nice. In fact, I think I might even hunt a rabbit or two. I'm tired of normal food, and now I can shift at will again. It'll be nice to hunt, especially today. _"Gaara," I called, not wanting to force him out of his sleep, though I was more than capable of it. I put my hand over his collarbone, pulling my lips closer to his ear. "It's time to wake up." As I said this, I moved my lips and planted a gentle kiss on the kanji on his forehead. I hadn't told him yet, but I did love him. I knew that now.

"You skin is freezing this morning, Nari," he muttered, opening his eyes. I stared into the ice blue orbs, marveled by their beauty.

"You know how little I've been eating, lately. That's probably why. It's nothing to worry about." He watched me calmly. I blushed a little under his gaze and then got up, going to get dressed. I had brought clothes in with me the night before. "But I'm going to hunt today. I like the idea of some fresh meat," I reassured him as I pulled on a loose-fitting, black shirt. The sleeves almost made it to my elbows, but not quite. The black capris I added would help protect my skin from the sun.

_Nari._ I waited for his request. I could see him musing it over in his mind, not sure exactly what he wanted of me. _Be careful_, he finally decided. I laughed a little.

_I told you to stop worrying about me. I'm not a doll. I can take care of myself_, I responded nonchalantly. _Anyway, I probably won't be out for long, and when I'm done, I'll go to my room and finish the work Temari gave me. See? There's nothing to be worried about. We've both faced greater threats before. _

_To be so close to having you as mine, I simply don't want to lose you. _

"Honestly, Gaara. I'll be fine. If you keep worrying like that, you'll get wrinkles. Besides, what would anyone benefit from hurting me? I don't carry anything important, those outside of Suna are completely clueless to our relationship, and I'm really not that great of a ninja. It'd be useless to attack me. You'll see." He frowned but let it be and got dressed. When we were done, I shifted and jumped out of the window. It might have been a long fall, but it'd barely affect someone like me.

►§◄

I smirked, pleased with myself, and rested my chin in my palm. It only took me an hour to write a full letter to Sadao. That was quite an accomplishment as far as I was concerned. All I had to do now was take it to the mail tower. I let the ink dry as I stood and put away my writing utensils. I glanced up at my door and before Temari could bother knocking, I opened it.

"Ugh, you're still writing on the floor?" she scolded me. I just shrugged and continued with my task. I didn't like to sit in chairs at a desk or table. Laying on the ground to write was much more preferable. "Well, at least your lessons are coming along nicely." Temari was the one teaching me how to write. Sending letters to Sadao was just an added bonus. "Anyway, Gaara wants to see you in his office."

"Is he going to tell me the response from Lady Tsunade?" It had been nearly a month since we proposed the idea. We figured that she would have some sort of requests to compensate for the loss of a jounin but we hadn't thought the process would take so long. As he and her bantered over me, I had respected his wishes and not read his thoughts over the issues. Perhaps I'd finally be getting some information.

"I think so." I eagerly followed after her. I could send Sadao's letter afterwards. She accompanied me along the way, talking about this and that. She took me all the way there but didn't join me when I entered the Kazekage's office. She planned on nabbing me afterwards to visit the hospital. We still hadn't discovered if my uterus was fully healed. I figured it was, since my ability to shift was restored, but Temari wasn't so sure.

"You wanted me?" I said softly. Gaara glanced up and nodded, before returning to his paperwork. I waited until he was finished with his document before I interrupted him again. "May I ask what for?" His sigh made me nervous.

"Lady Tsunade and I have come up with an agreement."

"And?"

"In order to transfer you to Suna, she's required that first you return to Konoha for a full medical examination and then, when you return, you're to be taken off active duty."

_What does that mean?_

"That means I won't be able to send you on missions. In simpler terms, you'll be retired. The only time you'd see action is in cases of extreme emergency."

"What would I do then?" I saw it in his head before he could say it aloud. I groaned. "Back to the Council? Really?"

"This time you'd be a permanent member. In fact, now that you can write and perform math, the Council is willing to consider making you the new Head of Defense." I grimaced. "Nari, I want you to stay in Suna. This was the only thing we could agree on. At least consider it." I glanced up into his eyes, so deep and full of longing.

"If I join the Council, then I'm making a request. There has to be one day, just one day, where I don't get called into meetings unless it's an emergency. Just one day. I'll do my job as Head of Defense, but don't make me sit with the Council every single day." He considered it for a moment, and then agreed. We stood there, staring at each other in silence. He had something else to ask of me.

"I want your opinion on an issue…"

"The Akatsuki are as great a threat, if not greater than, you believe. I never really took their goals seriously, despite the promising members they had at their disposal. They need to be dealt with. Sooner, rather than later." _Konoha has been working on it. _"Of course they have. They're protecting Naruto. Still, they're going to need help, even more than Suna can offer. But I'm afraid there's nothing you can do about it. The other Kage would laugh at you, saying your concerns are childish. Just be patient. The opportunity will come."

"What if patience comes with a price?" he asked, standing and turning to stare out his window.

"Your friends will not perish, Gaara. Not while I'm around." He glanced at me, confused. "I want to make you happy. I need them for that."

"You've been taken off of active duty."

"I'd become a rogue if that's what it took to ensure your happiness. You deserve it. You always have." _And yourself?_

_You're what makes me happy. _I saw it then, that soft smile. I was sure it was real this time, not some flicker of my imagination. I beamed back at him. _So, when do I leave?_

_Whenever you're ready. Is there anyone in particular you'd like to travel with you? _he asked. We both knew he couldn't come along.

"Could you spare Temari?"

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**I know this chapter was short but I plan on updating soon. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	28. Truth

**Honestly, I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter but I hope you enjoy.**

**Note: I know this is out of timeline but it fit so well with the story, I couldn't help myself.**

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I walked in between Temari and Matsuri, trying to think up worse scenarios. The only thing I could think of was if Gaara had an overprotective mother that really wanted grandchildren had come along too. Thank the gods that hadn't happened.

Meanwhile, the pair was chattering away like bunnies hopping about on a spring day. I had tried several times to get out from in between them, since I really wasn't up for conversation, but it had been to no avail. Temari would just pull me back in, like I was some type of criminal being transported.

"Why are you so solemn?" Matsuri finally asked me. I glanced down at her, intrigued by the question.

"I'm not solemn. I'm thinking about other things."

"Like what?" I sighed and puffed at my too long bangs. I really needed a haircut.

"Nothing of your concern." She frowned and glared at me, almost thinking it was a challenge. "I don't have to tell you everything about me," I pointed out hotly. "So stop acting like my business is your business."

"Perhaps if you weren't acting like you just buried someone she wouldn't be so concerned," Temari retorted. I glared at her. I didn't like being double-teamed, especially not by these two. _Honestly, why did Matsuri have to come along? Temari is more than capable of backing me up if we're attacked. Matsuri would just get in the way at this point. She doesn't know anything about my fighting style._

"I'm just thinking…" Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared up at the sky. It was a little cloudy, but they were white and fluffy. The sky was a nice, light teal. I couldn't smell even a hint of rain in the air.

"Nari…" I glanced over at Temari, expression softer. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing. I just feel… left out. I don't really belong in between the two of you."

"If we actually thought you'd talk with us we'd have changed the subject to something you could relate to long ago. What do you want to talk about?" Matsuri asked. I was shocked by this act of kindness. A little unsure, I simply shrugged. Temari was the one who actually started the conversation. It was on jutsu, something I excelled at. Matsuri wasn't so good, but even she had a few skills. An hour or so later, we made it to the Hidden Leaf. A guard was waiting for us and directed us to the Hokage building.

"Thanks," I told him, taking the lead. Temari and Matsuri followed close by. I reached the building first and headed up stairs. "Lady Tsunade," I greeted the Hokage as we strolled into her office. She glanced up from her desk and stared at me. She looked grave, almost upset. I frowned but didn't ask about it, pushing myself out of her mind. It wasn't any of my business. "I was told to come see you." Temari and Matsuri came in behind me, standing on either side.

"I didn't expect you to come with anyone else," she admitted, surprised by my company. "Still, I suppose it's for the best. This world's a dangerous place to be walking around alone." I nodded in agreement. We knew of the dangers all too well.

"I don't mean to sound like I'm in a rush, but I would like to return to Suna as soon as possible. Could you tell me where I need to report to, please?"

"Since Shizune is currently busy, you'll be examined by Sakura in your human form and by our veterinarian in your beast form." I opened my mind slightly to hers to see where these examinations would take place and when. We were about to leave before I remembered something.

"Is Naruto here? I'd like to see him again."

"I'm afraid not. He's training."

"Too bad," I muttered. "I wanted to see how much he had grown. Well, goodbye, Lady Tsunade." She waved me off. "You two didn't have to be so silent," I commented once we were out of the building. Matsuri blushed.

"I didn't have anything to say," she admitted shyly.

"Shocker," I breathed. "So, where are we staying tonight?" Temari directed us through town to the hotel she had stayed in when she was planning the Chuunin Exams with Shikamaru. We ordered a room for three days. It shouldn't take any longer than that. As Matsuri and Temari scrubbed off the dust from travel, I said goodnight and climbed to the roof of the building. While I liked the cold of the desert nights, it was nice to enjoy a warm one for once. I laid on my back, hands behind my head, and stared at the stars.

Sunrise came sooner than I would've liked. I slipped off the roof and jumped back into the window of our room. Matsuri was still asleep but Temari was wide-awake, getting ready for the day. "Going so soon?" she asked. I nodded. There was no point in holding it off any longer.

"I'll be back soon."

"We'll be waiting." I nodded again before walking out. The entire reason I went into the hotel room was to check on my companions and tell at least one of them where I was headed. Nothing more. I strolled leisurely down the streets of Konoha until I reached the building Lady Tsunade had thought off the day before.

"Hello? Anyone here?" I called, pushing open the door of the veterinarian's office. A girl with red marks on her cheeks appeared. "Hi. My name is Nari. Lady Tsunade sent me here for an examination."

"Oh, yeah. She told me about you. My name is Dr. Hana Inuzuka."

"Right. You're Kiba's sister, correct?" She nodded.

"Well, come on in. I have some other things I need to get to so this will have to be quick."

"Of course," I agreed, following her into a small room with a metal table in the center. The walls were covered in various cabinets and shelves of supplies. I shifted before jumping onto the table. I had a sense for how these things would go. It wouldn't be enjoyable but I'd handle it.

I closed my eyes and tried to relax as the veterinarian ran her fingers up and down my back, checking my vitals. It was so uncomfortable, the way she pressed here and there. What was worse were her thoughts. She honestly wished there was another one of me, that way she could dissect it and study it further. I shivered a little, feeling extremely awkward. She didn't notice.

"Well, as far as I can tell, you're internal organs are the exact same as those of a normal fox. The only difference is your chakra system. Yours is three times as complex, if not more. But there is a problem. Even with the extreme size of your chakra system, it's still not large enough to contain the massive amounts of chakra in your reserve so it appears as a cloud around you. It's actually quite phenomenal."

I flicked up my tails in response, trying to signal that I already knew all this. "I believe it's because of your ability to change size that your chakra system is so large. Normally, a system the size of yours would only appear in the body of an animal nearly six times your current size. Evolution definitely worked in your favor." I chuckled a little, come out as an awkward bark. She knew what it meant.

"Anyway, that's all I can discern, I'm afraid. I'm going to report my findings to Lady Tsunade now. You're free to go." I shifted back into human for, extremely glad at moments like this that my clothes shifted with me.

"Thank you, Dr. Inuzuka." She just smiled and shrugged.

"It's my job." As she went to go write everything down, I left and headed back to my hotel room. Temari and Matsuri were there waiting for me, looking a little grave. "Nari, Kankuro just sent word that we're wanted back in the village," Temari said.

"But I haven't finished my medical exams."

"I know but Matsuri and I have to leave." I frowned and stared at them.

"Well, alright then. I guess I could stay behind by myself. It's not like I'm in danger or anything. You can go." Temari frowned at me. She didn't want to leave me by myself, feeling as if that would somehow be betraying Gaara. Still, she had her orders.

"Okay. Goodbye, Nari."

"See you when I get back."

"We can't go!" Matsuri protested. "Nari needs our protection. Gaara-sensei sent us on this mission to protect her!"

"Nari is more than capable of handling herself. She's not a child." Matsuri stared at me, a troubled look crossing her features. While she wasn't particularly fond of me, she did care about the relationship I held with Gaara. She was afraid that if I got hurt, it would hurt Gaara too.

"Listen to Temari, Matsuri. I can take care of myself." She bit her lip but finally agreed and headed to pack her stuff. I watched them and then escorted them out of the village. This confused the guards a little, but they let it be. Not really having anything better to do, I went to the training grounds and practiced some new jutsu. The next day, I went to my last medical exam. The day after that, I'd be heading home.

Before I left, I said goodbye to Lady Tsunade and wished her well. "You're a good ninja, Nari, but you're also a big risk. It's better for everyone that you stay away from the fighting for a time."

"I understand," I assured her. Honestly, I wasn't very upset about being taken off active duty anymore. It'd give me time to think about where I wanted my life to go, and what I hoped to accomplish before my time was done. So far, I'd just been living to live. It was time to find a purpose. There had to be something only I could do for the world. I thought about this as I exited the village.

I was just out of the walls when I heard new minds spring into my head. I glanced back at the village, watching as seven figures sprang to the earth. _Are we under attack?_ I wondered silently. The explosion that followed confirmed my suspicion. I ran back into the village, not caring whether or not I had been taken off active duty. This was an emergency and until I reached Suna, I was still a ninja of the Hidden Leaf.

One of the enemy ninja immediately confronted me. "What are you doing here, Pain?" I asked, confused by his appearance.

"We are hunting the nine-tailed jinchuriki. Do you know where he is?"

"Not a clue. I haven't seen him for years." Pain stared at me, considering whether or not to attack me in hopes of finding more information. Eventually, he decided to let me be. I could be useful to him yet. Then he took off to attack more citizens. _If they're after Naruto, they're out of luck. He's not here._ I didn't bother to tell him that. I wouldn't betray a comrade.

People were being evacuated left and right as monsters ravaged the village. Occasionally, I would fend one off when it tried to attack fleeing citizens. Most of the time, though, I was digging people out of the rubble and transporting them to the hospital. Suddenly, a giant slug found me.

"My name is Katsuyu, Lady Tsunade sent me here to help you."

"Don't worry about me. I heal perfectly fine on my own. Go to the hospital and see what you can do there. You know what? I'll take you there myself." I wrapped my arm around her fat body and jumped towards the hospital, only to find one of the beasts about to attack it. "Never mind, Lady Katsuyu. I need to keep this thing away from the hospital." I put her down gently.

"I understand. Good luck." I nodded and ran towards the monster. It fell on top of the buildings, smashing them. I stared up at the summoning, finding it strangely creepy. Still, I had a job to do. "Come on!" I shouted, throwing paper bombs at the head of the centipede. I had to keep the thing away from the hospital at all costs. It roared and lunged after me. I kept at this, leading it further away from the inured. Finally, when we were a good distance for the hospital, I began to form signs.

"Blast style: internal implosion!" I put both my hands on the underside of the beast, a tricky place to get to, and watched as its organs began to burst out from inside of it. I dropped to the ground, exhausted by the massive jutsu. The thing was so big that the one jutsu had trained nearly half of my chakra. Suddenly, I heard another roar as a second head confronted me.

"How the hell are you still alive!" I shouted in my frustration. It simply screeched and whipped out for another attack. I barely avoided it. Suddenly, the thing disappeared. I saw one of the Pains going into the air as another headed out of the city limits. I wasn't sure which one to follow, their minds confused messes to me. Finally, I went for the one heading out. Just as I jumped into the air, a white light blinded me, and sent me hurling towards the ground…

►§◄

_"Where am I?" I breathed, staring at the strange, water-like surface above me. My own reflection stared back before morphing and disappearing. Suddenly, I was laying in the desert and a nine-tailed fox stared back down at me. "Mother?" I asked, recognizing the face almost immediately._

_"Oh, Narimi. You always were the difficult child, finding trouble wherever you went."_

_"Narimi?" She smiled sadly at me. _

_"You don't even remember your full name. Oh, my little one." Tails wrapped around my sides and my head, holding me to her. "Yes, your name is Narimi. It was your brothers that called you Nari. You were always so fond of them… I remember the day you were born. Your father and I were so proud. After five litters, we finally had our first daughter. You were quite a sight, with white paws and white-tipped ears and tails. We thought for sure you'd be the next alpha."_

_"Father?" I didn't remember my father at all. As I stared at my mother, I got even more confused. She was almost entirely orange, like the original nine-tailed fox. But I knew alphas had the white-tips. If she didn't, was she not an alpha?_

_"Yes, your father. You probably don't remember him. He wasn't around much after your first shift."_

_"After my first shift? You left me on the outskirts of the Village Hidden in the Leaves after my first shift."_

_"That's not true! That's not true at all!" she protested. "You were only three months old when you first shifted, far too young to be taken to the Hidden Leaf. In my opinion, anyway. The Elders, and your father for that matter, thought differently. Still, I couldn't abandon my only daughter so young. I cared for you until your first birthday and then I left you."_

_"But why abandon me when the Leaf didn't accept me? And why didn't you look after me those first couple of years? And why aren't you an alpha and…? I mean, what do I really know about my heritage? I thought only rogue nine-tailed foxes have long ears but the original one does, and where am I anyway?" The female fox laughed a little, amused by my questions._

_"You were also the curious one. Only female nine-tailed foxes with white markings like yours can become alphas. Their considered noble. What do you know of your heritage? I can't answer that. What I do know is that you were far too young to remember most of what I taught you. For example, your misconception on rogue nine-tailed foxes. They don't exist. Foxes are solitary by nature. The wish to live in groups comes from our human side. If a nine-tailed fox decides to leave the group, they go. They're not forced to stay. _

_"And I never said that rogue nine-tailed foxes have long ears. I told you that the original did, but that gene has long since disappeared. There hasn't been a nine-tailed fox with long ears since the original nine-tailed ninja. But honestly, Narimi, none of that matters now."_

_"Why not? What if I meet other nine-tailed foxes one day?"_

_"You won't. And this leads me two your first two questions. Why did I abandon you when the Hidden Leaf didn't accept you? Because I wasn't allowed to take care of you anymore. I had been ordered by the alpha of the pack to leave you, whether or not they honored the treaty and took you in. After that, I did watch you. I even led your first teacher to you. You didn't need my help anymore when he came along. You got by just fine."_

_"But when he died?"_

_"I was already dead." I froze, staring up at my mother in confusion. "When Kurama, the original nine-tailed fox, attacked the Leaf, he created a tailed-beast ball. In order to protect the village, the fourth Hokage sent the ball into what he thought was an uninhabited area. In actuality, he sent it right above the place where all the nine-tailed foxes were gathering to discuss the issue of having Kurama sealed within the body of humans. The tailed-beast ball wiped us all out." My jaw dropped._

_"You mean to say then, that Kurama's attack on the Hidden Leaf was completely random?"_

_"No. There was a purpose behind it, but it had nothing to do with us." I frowned, trying to take this all in._

_"Wait a second. If you're dead, am I?" She nodded solemnly. I began to panic, thinking about Gaara and Temari and Matsuri. I had promised them all that I'd be alright, that I'd be the one protecting people. I couldn't die now. I had to get back to Suna. I hadn't even told Gaara that I loved him yet. "No. I can't be dead. I have to go back!" I pushed myself to my feet and turned behind me. It was all desert and sand. No. There had to be some way back._

_"Narimi, please. Don't do this. If you don't accept your death, you can't move on."_

_"Mother, you don't understand. I made a promise. I have to keep it!" I turned in a complete circle. There had to be some way…_

_"Narimi…"_

_"Mother! I love him! I told him… I have to go back!" She frowned, wrapping her tails around my leg and peering up at me with pleading eyes. "I have to, Mom." Suddenly, as if on cue, a bright green light wrapped around me. She stepped away from me. Surprised. "Mom, I have one last question before I go. Is the original nine-tailed ninja still alive?" She frowned but nodded. "Thank you. Goodbye." I started to rise above the sand, embraced by this light._

_"Happy birthday!" she screamed after me. _Birthday? Today's my birthday? _I thought. It didn't matter though because the green light was beginning to smother me. I couldn't breathe. I…_

►§◄

I gasped, taking in my first breath. I glanced around and began to push the rubble off me, clawing my way to the surface. I coughed up blood as I went, my ribs feeling as if somebody had smashed them with a hammer. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I uncovered the sky. I pulled myself out of my hole and collapsed, gasping for air. No one was anywhere near me, and the Hidden Leaf Village was gone. Still, I could sense the minds of dozens of people, overwhelming me. But I pushed all of that away. I needed to get up. I needed to go back to the Sand.

I tried to stand but my legs gave out from beneath me. I didn't give up though. It took me five minutes to get my feet right, and even then my movements were clumsy and uncoordinated. It took me an hour to reach the village walls and jump to the top. I stared back at the annihilated village. No building was left standing and a giant crater lay at the center. Still, I knew everyone was still alive somehow. I could feel it.

I closed my eyes and let every thought, every pain slip out of my brain. I needed to get back to Suna. That was my priority. Not only did I need to get there to receive medical attention (why I didn't stay in the Leaf for that I couldn't say), but Suna needed to hear of the destruction. Perhaps they could help in the relief effort.

Mentally prepared, I set out for home.

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**Before we depart, I want to apologize about how updates are slowing down but school starts Wednesday and I've been kind of busy. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review.**


	29. Confession

**This chapter isn't very long. Sorry. I hope you enjoy anyway. By the way, I did try something new this time as an experiment. If you like it, let me know, if not that's okay. I just wanted to see what it'd be like and if it could help contribute to the story.**

**Note: I obviously don't use the metric system so the degrees that you'll be reading about are all in Fahrenheit.**

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By the time Suna finally came into view, I could barely feel my fingers. My legs had gone numb sometime the day before and the lack of sensation was slowing crawling up my body. I was hungry and exhausted, not having stopped to rest the entire two days it took me to get here. I staggered up to the entrance where a guard took notice of me.

"Lady Nari!" he exclaimed, rushing out towards me. I was so out of it that I didn't even notice the title, simply staggering past him like a zombie. "Lady Nari, are you alright?" He put a hand on my shoulder, stopping my movements. When he let go, I collapsed, the sand rushing towards my face.

►§◄

"…and you better make sure Gaara doesn't find out that she's here," I heard a female voice order. That sharp tone could only be Temari.

"W – wh?" I tried to ask, but I couldn't get the words past me throat.

"How are you awake?" she demanded instantly, rushing to my side. I pealed my eyes open to stare into her green orbs. They were full of concern and disbelief, and maybe just a wee bit of anger. "Nari! If it was anyone _but_ you, you would be dead! Nurse, she needs water right now, and someone better start healing her wounds."

"Yes, ma'am. Right away." Just a few moments later, Temari was holding a glass of water to my lips. I drank greedily, nearly dying of thirst. My throat felt better after that, but my lips were obviously still cracked. I could taste the dry blood on them.

"Why can't Gaara know I'm here? I want to talk to him."

"Are you kidding me? Even Gaara saw you right now, he'd lose it. Do you have any idea in what kind of condition you're in?"

"I think I broke my ribs…," I muttered hesitantly. The kunoichi just about flipped herself.

"You _think_? You're ribs are crushed! One of your lungs is collapsed, you're spinal cord is bent out of shape, both of your legs are broken, _and_ you have a concusion! The strangest thing is, no one can figure out how you're still alive. You're in such bad shape that the medic-nin don't even know where to start."

"The collapsed lung would be good," I breathed. Now that I thought about it, my breathing had been irregular since I crawled out of the rubble. Then again, I had just thought it was due to compression from my ribs. How was I alive with only one lung? Temari just shook her head, obviously flustered and stretched to her breaking point.

"How long was I out?"

"About thirty minutes, but they're probably going to sedate you before they begin surgery." I nodded and turned my head to the side, staring at the little table there holding my glass of water.

"Temari?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think I could eat first?" She sighed and stared at me.

"You've never had surgery done before, have you?" I shook my head. "I'll make sure you get something to eat when you get out. Okay?" I frowned but nodded. My stomach could wait a little longer.

"If I can't see Gaara, then you have to tell him something for me. Tell him that Konoha was completely destroyed. There's nothing left but the Great Heads. Then tell him that there were no casualites. Everyone survived." Temari's eyes were grave.

"Yes. We know. Naruto Uzumaki single-handedly defeated Pain and saved the village." I shrugged.

"Well, that's interesting. I didn't hear about that." She glanced down at me and sighed. "Go get some rest or something, Temari. Don't worry about me. If I'm not dead yet then I'm not going to die anytime soon."

"Fine. Just work with the doctors, okay, Nari? They know what they're doing." I agreed easily and closed my eyes. I was still so tired…

►~§~◄

**Temari's POV**

"You alright, Temari?" Kankuro asked, sitting down beside me. I stared heavily at the ground, sitting on the bench outside of the operation room. Nari was inside.

"I'm worried."

"Nari's going to be fine. She always pulls through this kind of stuff."

"Not about her. I know she'll be fine. She's Nari. I'm worried about Gaara. If he finds out…"

"He's not going to. And even if he does, I'm sure he'll be okay too. Gaara's been through worse before. He can handle this." I wasn't too sure. My little brother was strong, but Nari meant so much to him. She was his first friend. She knows him better than anyone else. Hell, they even sleep in the same bed together. If he lost her, it'd be like losing part of himself. He wouldn't know what to do, how to cope with the emotions.

"I wonder what she's thinking right now. Does she know what kind of hell she's putting us through?" Kankuro laughed once.

"She's probably wondering when she's going to be allowed to hunt again." My lips twitched upwards. The girl was always hungry. Even when she said she wasn't, we all knew that she couldn't get the thought of food out of her head.

Suddenly, the light over the room went out and a medic-nin came out. Kankuro and I stood, hoping for good news. "We've managed to restore the collapsed lung and straighten her spinal cord. We did what we could to reset her legs and ribs but only time will tell if they'll heal properly. The swelling in her brain is going down but we'll have to keep tabs on it."

"Thank you," I said, recollecting my cool demeanor. "Please inform either Kankuro or I if her condition changes."

"Of course. Should we send a medic to inform Lord Kazekage?"

"No," I replied immediately. "He has enough to worry about right now. When Nari's condition has stabilized Kankuro or I will tell him."

"Yes, Lady Temari." Kankuro thanked the man again and then walked out of the building. We had to go about our day as usual or Gaara would find out. I headed to the office to see if my brother needed help with an documents while Kankuro went to train the next generation of ninja. The day was long but we managed. Finally, we could retire to our rooms.

I stood in between Gaara in Kankuro, one hand on my hip. "She should have been back by now," Gaara said softly.

"Knowing Nari, she probably did get caught in the battle and is hiding out in a forest somewhere, healing up. I'm sure she's fine," Kankuro reassured him.

"Nari's near invincible, Gaara, and she enjoys getting into trouble. Even if she didn't fight for Konoha, she probably found trouble elsewhere. She's always sticking her nose where it doesn't belong," I added for bonus effect. A faraway look covered his eyes. We knew he'd worry about her a little bit but we had been hoping it wouldn't be so much. She was a strong girl. She could hold her own. He, of all people, should know that.

Out of nowhere, a medic-nin appeared. "Lady Temari, Lord Kankuro, I was told to inform you that Nari's condition is stable, but she hasn't woken yet." If I could kill with my eyes, the little ninja would be dead.

"Nari?" Gaara asked, confused. "Where is she?" The medic hesitated, realizing what he had done wrong.

"Gaara, we were going to tell you…," Kankuro tried to intervene. He ignored him entirely, focused on his sort-of-girlfriend. The medic tried to leave but Gaara stopped him.

"As you're Kazekage, I order you to take me to Nari Ninetails." I sighed, putting a hand to my forehead. We couldn't keep it quiet for one day? The ninja reacted slowly, unsure, but eventually did as he was bid. We walked to the hospital in silence. Gaara paused at the entrance to Nari's room.

She looked better than she had when I last saw her, but she still looked awful. Her skin tone was sickly where it wasn't sunburnt. Her lips were pale and scabbed over. The blankets only reached to her hips so you could see that her torso was covered in bandages. Even then, bruises were still visible all along her arms and the small part of her abdomen that wasn't covered.

"What happened to her?" the young Kazekage demanded, stepping closer.

"We're not exactly sure, but we do know that she fought against Pain," I informed her. Gaara laid a hand on her forehead and frowned.

"She's burning up." One of the doctors in the room stopped and stared at him.

"Are you sure? The Leaf sent us information on her anatomy but it was encoded and we've yet to fully decipher it. All we know is that her temperature is higher than a normal human's. We couldn't be sure if she had a fever or not."

"She's not much warmer than us. She has a fever."

"If we were to let you touch glasses of water at different temperatures could you tell us about where she normally runs?" My brother nodded. The medic immediately went about setting up the test. The redhead took his time and decided that she ran at around 101 degrees. This concerned the doctors greatly since her current temperature was over 108. They set to work immediately, trying to get it down.

I watched my brother as the medics scurried about. I knew we had made the right decision about not telling him. He was going to be here all night with her.

►~§~◄

**Nari's POV**

Little white flashes blurred my vision as I tried to open my eyes. Needles, white hot, stabbed at my ribs, making me moan with pain. Suddenly, a hand, soothing and cool, touch the side of my face. I let loose a sigh, glad for the relief. The hand moved up to my forehead, checking my temperature.

"She's still burning up." I turned my face towards the sound of Gaara's voice. My eyes fluttered open, taking in the features of the young Kazekage. He appeared troubled, even more than usual.

"The medics don't know what else to do. They've tried everything. She's been entirely unresponsive to all forms of medicine or treatments to bring her temperature back down. Maybe her normal temperature isn't as low as you thought it was." Gaara turned to his devil's advocate.

"Her temperature right now is well over 110 degrees. Are you telling me that isn't a fever?"

"For a normal human, yes but Nari? Maybe not." Temari sounded even more stressed than last time I had seen her.

"110 is high, even for me," I muttered. "I normally run somewhere around 100." Pale blue eyes flashed open in surprise, staring down at me. The wave of emotions swamping my moon at that moment where overwhelming. Joy, gratefulness, anger, pain, hurt, confusion, worry. He leaned down and pressed his cheek to mine. I wrapped my arm around his neck, holding him there. The fear of separation at that moment was too high. Anxiety smacked me across the face. All the emotions, stress, experiences I had suffered through in the past week gripped my heart. A rock clogged my throat, and before I realized what was happening, tears streamed from eyes.

"Nari?" Concern, confusion. _Why is she crying?_ "Are you in pain?" Gaara pulled out of my grip and I shook my head, turning away from him. How do you explain something you don't understand yourself?

"Are you still hungry, Nari?" Temari asked suddenly. I glanced towards her, my head starting to pound from all the movement. I tried to tell her yes but I choked and only managed to nod my head. I felt more tears streaming from my eyes, my body racked by sobs as she left. I tried to hid my face from Gaara who was still by my side but he hooked his finger under my chin and forced me to look at him.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, fear gripping him as well. He thought he might be the cause of the pain. What a silly assumption. Didn't he have any idea of how glad I was to see him? I grabbed his hand and moved it to my check, closing my eyes. Relief began to ease my sobs, a calming sensation running down my body. What if I hadn't made it back? What if I never got the chance to tell him?

Suddenly, Gaara leaned closer, his nose nearly touching mine. "Nari, you need to tell me what's wrong so I can help you."

"Nothing," I responded immediately. "I just – I… I wasn't sure if I'd get to see you again…. I want to be here, with you." A pause. "I mean, do you have any idea how much I love you? I don't," I sucked in a breath, trying to control the new moisture brimming from my eyes. "I don't know what I'd do without you. You're everything to me." Ice blue orbs stared down at me, his expression unreadable, his thoughts an incoherent jumble.

"You love me?" This question was almost a sentiment to his disbelief.

"Yes. I love you more than anything, more than anyone." To confess my feelings was like being reborn in the waves of an ocean. I felt clean somehow. My tears, my sobs stopped. Then, he slowly bent down and pressed his lips to mine. It wasn't a feather-light touch, but a passionate gesture of raw emotion because we both knew he loved me too.

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**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank for reading and, as always, please review.**

**Anyway, as a part of a dare with a friend a couple of days ago, I was forced to write a lemon for this story. It being my first lemon, it's okay. It also happens to fit pretty well with this part of the story so if you're interested in reading it, tell me and I can incorporate it into the next chapter. That's all. Ta ta!**


	30. Tides

**I'm very excited about posting this chapter because it contains the first lemon I've ever written. I hope it's good!**

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I laid on my bed, arms behind my head. I was eavesdropping on a conversation Gaara was holding with three ninja from Kumo. Normally, I'd be down there with him but I wasn't up to it. It had been four days since I had woken up from my three day slumber and I still didn't feel at top performance. My head hurt and I kept getting this nagging sensation that something extremely bad was about to happen. I couldn't imagine what might be worse than what had already occurred. But that I could ponder over some other time.

Apparently, the Raikage was requesting a Five Kage Summit over the Akatsuki. I frowned at this. While any person with eyes could see that the Akatsuki was becoming a problem, it didn't feel right to be demanding a Five Kage Summit right now. The Leaf had just been destroyed and Lady Tsunade was in comatose. It felt like a trap for some reason.

Closing my eyes, I began to count my breaths. I needed to calm down and carefully assess the situation. The three ninja delivering the message were completely sincere when they said that their Raikage wanted the summit to discuss the Akastsuki kidnapping his brother, the eight-tail jinchuriki. But the Raikage wasn't here to confirm that and they could be being fooled just as easily as we were. They were just messangers, after all. A hawk could have just as easily been sent.

"Maybe I'm over analyzing this," I mumbled to myself, turning my head to the porthole. I stared at the clear sky outside my window. Occasionally, one of my watch hawks would fly past the window. I used them to scout the village and keep an eye on things. While I didn't control them directly, I constantly placed my mind into theirs so I could see from their eyes and I suggested what they should fly over. I started this process in an attempt to reassure myself.

The hawk I was using did the perimeter of the village. As far as I could see, there were no intruders, no hidden enemies. I then switched a bird closer to the center and so on and so forth until I got to the one above the Kazekage building. Nothing. The village was quietly going on at its normal pace. Still, I felt uneasy. Something was wrong. Something had to be.

Even as the messengers left (I watched them depart through the eyes of my hawks), I felt watched. It was almost as if I was about to be ambushed. Trapped, scared, paranoid. Eventually, I had to let it go. There was nothing I could do. Not yet, at least…

►§◄

"Only two guards! And you're not the slightest bit suspicious?" I demanded hotly, running a hand through my already messy mane. Gaara and I were in his room discussing the Five Kage Summit he had been requested to attend.

"Nari, the other Kage will also be worried about the prospect of attack. The limit on guards is to reassure other that there will be no foul play." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"And who's to say that the Raikage isn't planning an ambush?" He sighed. _Did you find any reason to believe that he is?_ he counteracted. I pursed my lips and refused to acknowledge the statement. _Nari._ "No, okay? I didn't but…" How could I put it into words? "My instincts are saying that something is seriously wrong. I just don't know what." This caught Gaara's attention. Being part animal, my instincts were supposed to be better than his.

"You're sensing that the Raikage is going to attempt foul play?"

"Not the Raikage necessarily, but someone. Who knows? It could be the Akatsuki themselves! I'm freaking out over this. I don't know what to do!" Calmly, gently, he took ahold of my wrists and lowered our hands to where they level. Then, he took my cuffs and loosened them, pulling them off. He put them on his dresser, knowing full well that I'd need them later.

"At this point, it's none of your concern. You need to rest and heal. You _still_ have a fever," he noted, placing a hand on my cheek. Suddenly, a strange urgency overtook me and I dragged him into a kiss, completely forgetting what our heated discussion had been about. I felt his cheeks in either hand and he, surprisingly, replied with equal need. I parted my lips a little and felt his tongue sneak in, exploring the inside of my mouth. I did the same to him, pressing myself closer to his body. I pushed him towards the bed. He backed up into it and fell. I landed on his lap, one leg on either side of him.

I wasn't thinking as I pushed his robe apart and slipped it over his shoulders. He didn't make the conscious decision to pull my shirt off, leaving me chest covered by a mere set of bandages. Whatever was happening felt right and I didn't resist. I leaned over him, pushing his back onto the bed, and continued to kiss his luscious lips even as I pulled his undershirt up. I ripped it off in one swift movement and felt as Gaara's hands began to undo my bandages.

Abruptly, he pulled back and pushed me upward. I was slightly hurt by this movement until I noticed his confusion. "Nari, what is this?" I furrowed my eyebrows. Even I wasn't quite sure. Part of me said that this was lust but something else told me that it was so much more. That's when it finally clicked in my head what we were about to do.

"Oh my gods! Lord Kazekage, I am so sorry! I wasn't thinking and…" I could barely get the words out through my astonishment and embarrassment. I tried to pull away but he grabbed me by the wrists and pulled me back over his chest.

"You're not going anywhere," he said coolly. "I told you, I don't like you calling me that." I gulped, shaking from our intimacy and his intense stare. "Don't apologize. Just tell me what this is."

"It's… It's lust. It's when your body craves the body of another person, usually the opposite sex. It's… umm… It's how… _babies_ are made." I said it like a question, still horrified with myself. How could I do such a thing? _Why am I disappointed that we stopped?_ I was so confused! My emotions were in turmoil, still wanting him but, at the same time, knowing that I shouldn't.

_She's afraid_, Gaara noted. _She thinks that she's done something wrong._ "I have," I muttered, blushing and glancing at his all too perfect chest. My fingers seemed to have minds of their own as they began to stroke and admire the smooth texture of his skin. "Oh gods…" I dropped my head onto his neck, wishing I could disappear. He didn't let go of my wrists, his thumbs rubbing where my cuffs usually sat.

A single finger lifted my head and forced me to look into his eyes. Meanwhile, he released my still trapped wrist and his hand trailed down my side, following the curve of my body. I closed my eyes, electricity sparking where his fingers glided. He pushed my eyes open with his thumb as his other hand continued along its path to my skirt. This, he began to push down. My heart jumped, senses screaming in joy, mind roaring with fear.

"There's no need to be afraid. My instincts are telling me that this is a good thing. What do yours say?" I swallowed and took a deep breath.

"My instincts say… They say that I shouldn't hold back." _But my brain is thinking about the "Mating" scroll, and the politics of Suna, and the consequences, and what would happen if someone walked in, and what if you don't enjoy it. Does it hurt the first time? Is this right for us to be doing? You're my Kage… But you're also my moon_, I realized. And my moon thought that this was a good thing. My moon wanted this. Then he deserved to have it. I leaned forward and kissed him again, letting my hands do the roaming they wished. They slid down to his hips and pushed down his pants just as he took off my skirt.

He shimmied the rest of the way out of his pants, simultaneously scooting further onto the bed. Now I could sit on my knees over top of him. I decided to stay leaning over him, liking that our bare skin was only inches apart. My leggings came off next and neither of us went for the underwear, fascinated enough by how much was already revealed.

Suddenly, Gaara lifted me by the hips and repositioned us so that we were laying on the bed the right way so we could get all the way on it. I spread myself over him, pressing my body against his from top to bottom. I kissed down his neck and hooked one of his legs with my own. I felt something hard from under his underwear raging against mine. I smirked a little, instinctively knowing what that meant. I began to push his boxers off, ready for the surprise they contained.

He flipped me over and ripped off my underwear in one sweep before allowing his full self to be revealed. He stuck a knee in between my legs, spreading them. For a moment he held my eyes, but then they trailed down my body, his hands resting on my hips, preparing for insertion. He wanted me, needed me. My hands came to the small of his back and urged him forward, needing him to take me already.

Gaara's head pushed inside me slowly, carefully, allowing my walls to adjust to his size. It felt so good to squeeze something. I squeezed harder, resting my head back and closing my eyes. He pulled out just as slowly, but not all the way. Then, without warning, he buried himself inside of me in one swift, powerful stroke. I cried out in shock and pain, but I didn't want him to stop. As he was about to leave me altogether, not wanting to hurt me again, I wrapped my legs around his hips and pulled him back inside on my own.

Thank the gods, he understood. He began to make slow, deep strokes that increased in speed. I couldn't help the little mewling noises escaping my lips as he filled me. My back arched, my hands sliding up and nails digging into his upper back. Gaara bent over me, one hand propping him up, the other tangled in my hair as he forced me to look into his eyes. I could just barely do it. My entire body demanded my eyes stay closed. The pressure building in my abdomen was new. I didn't understand.

All at once, something snapped, and pure feeling washed over my body. I squeezed around him tighter, not wanting him to ever leave. He too, must have been feeling this because I couldn't find anything else but these feelings around me. I couldn't make sense of them but they were… Oh, they were… so wonderful! My heart was pounding, and my body shook occasionally with little aftershocks. Gaara collapsed next to me, pulling out and then dragging me onto his chest. I laid by his side, both of us panting. I felt fluid trickling down my leg. I didn't know what, nor did I care. Right now, I was in my personal heaven.

"Mating," I mumbled. "Who knew mating could feel so good?" I saw him smirk before burying his face in my hair. We lay in silence for a while, content with each other's presence, before he spoke.

"I love you, Nari," he told me hesitantly. We hadn't said it much and neither Kankuro nor Temari were aware of our confessions yet.

"I love you, too, Gaara. You're my moon, my everything." I knew he was delighted by that. In his mind, he thought his pet act had worked.

"Could you put me to sleep?" he asked randomly, although he had been thinking about it. "I've barely slept at all since you left for Konoha. It was even worse when you got back."

"Of course," I replied. Instead of pulling up soothing memories of his, I put into his mind memories that I had. Memories I had never shared with anyone before. _I laid on my back on a tree branch, one arm hanging limp by my side. I glanced down at the ground, hearing a peculiar sound. Footsteps, perhaps? I waited patiently for the intruder to appear. Suddenly, a man entered my vision. He had dark blue hair and black eyes. "Well, hello there, little child," he said._

_"Ell oh?" I called back uncertainly. He laughed and beckoned for me to come down. Excited by the prospect of a friend, I eagerly obeyed. The man bent to my height and asked my name. "Nari!" I responded joyfully._

_"Do you know how old you are, Nari?" he asked me. I held up a single finger. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Surely you must be older than a year." I shook my head again. He studied me up and down for a moment or two, judging my height and body size. "Well, I guess you do look like a one-year-old. A very skinny, grown-up looking one-year-old."_ Before I finished with the memory of my meeting with my first sensei, Gaara was already asleep. He was exhausted. Work and stress had been eating away at him. I wasn't offended by this and eagerly joined him. I didn't dream at all that night.

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As always, thank you for reading. I'm very eager to know how I did with the lemon so please review!


	31. Honesty

**Okay, so here's the better chapter 31. This is mostly a filler chapter but it includes one thing that I thought really needed to happen. Enjoy!**

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"There's no need to worry about us," Kankuro assured me, putting a hand on my head. "The only reason why Temari and I are going at all is because the agreement was that each Kage brings two guards. Gaara doesn't need our protection." I stared up at the puppet master with wide eyes.

"You don't think that maybe it's a trap?"

"If it were, I'm sure Gaara would rather take you than me. I trust his instincts. You're instincts tell you that something's going to happen, but his tell him that we'll all be alright. You might be part animal, Nari, but Gaara has earned my absolute trust."

"Yes. I understand. Please be careful, Kankuro."

"Of course. We'll bring him back in one piece." Part of me considered sending a clone with them but I knew better. It'd be hard enough for Gaara to make the other Kage take him seriously with how young he was. We wouldn't want him to appear dishonest on top of that. In the end, I just nodded and said goodbye to Kankuro. I already told Gaara and Temari to be careful before they went outside. They both knew how I hated crowds.

A little while after, Baki came into the office I had been given to do my part as the Head of Defense. "Lady Nari, they've departed."

"Please, just call me Nari, Baki. I'm not your superior."

"That may be true, but you deserve the title. I've seen what you've done to fix our aerial problem. It's quite impressive." He was referring to my positioning of different guards to watch the skies. He had no idea that I was also commanding a team of hawks to alert me whenever something seemed amiss. While I trusted Baki, I still hadn't told him, nor the rest of the council, about my kekkei genkai.

"Thank you. Today, I plan on reassessing the situation regarding the watchmen on the walls. It's difficult, with the desert, to put people in one place and expect them to see a solid area. Even though the last plan did seem quite splendid in its own way, I believe it needs to be readjusted. Not to mention, there should also be an overlap of views between the guards. That way, if something were to happen to one set of watchmen, another set would be alerted and be able to send a signal to the Kazekage and the others guarding our walls."

"You've put a lot of thought into this."

"Though I may not have been here at the time, I will not have the village caught by surprise again. We should always be alerted to what's entering and exiting the village."

"If I remember correctly, you've done that quite a few times."

"Exactly. That's the problem. I shouldn't be able to do that. No one should." I stared back at the map of the village. While the inside was up to date, the outside was not. The sand dunes had shifted and changed over the years. Most in the Council didn't find it to be anything to worry about, but I knew differently. Shinobi were capable of many things and it'd be no difficult task for one to use these dunes to their advantage and slip into the village from somewhere other than the main entrance. The ease they could do it was frightening, at least to me.

"Has anyone ever told you that you worry too much? You tell everyone else not to worry, yet that seems to be all that you do." I paused, mulling this over.

"I suppose you're right. Still…"

"Lady Nari, I don't pretend to know what you've been through in your life, but I'd like to give you a word of advice. Whether you wish to admit it or not, you're a child and have yet to experience a great many things. Not to mention, while you are smart, you can't expect to make every decision by yourself. Allow the other council members to review and revise your plans. You never know what ideas they may have when it comes to protecting the village." Baki, himself, didn't have any, but he knew of other officials who did. He wanted me to take that inconsideration. "Besides, you're new at this. You don't have half the experience they do when it comes to leading the village. That's all. Goodbye, Lady Nari."

"Baki, wait." _It's time_, I deemed. "I'm not sure if you've noticed this about me or not, but I hate it when people judge by age." He had noticed that, especially when it came to myself and Gaara. "There's a reason for that."

"Lady Nari, I know you're wise beyond your years. I didn't mean to suggest…," he interrupted me.

"That's not what I meant," I cut him off in turn. "I have a specific reason why I hate being judged by age. It's because I have a special kekkei genkai that makes me different from everybody else. What I'm about to tell you is something I expect to be kept confidential between you and myself. Gaara and his siblings know about it, of course, but, excluding them, you'll be the third person to learn of it. The other two were the Third and Fifth Hokage." His eyes opened wide, surprised by this.

"A kekkei genkai other than your ability to change forms?" I nodded.

"It's the ability to enter another's mind. Originally, it was simply the ability to read the thoughts and memories of those around me, but my powers have been advancing at an alarming rate ever since Shukaku was removed from Gaara. I can make suggestions into the minds of others, alter memories, and even project my voice into an outside mind. I can partially control animals and even paralyze an opponent. While the mind reading itself is not taxing, the other jutsu related to it drain my chakra, unless it is with a mind I'm exceedingly familiar with. For example, Gaara and I can have full conversations with our thoughts alone but even one sentence into Temari's mind and I physically feel the fatigue. Not to mention, it's harder to do.

"I've had the simplest form of this ability since I was six-years-old. Then, I could only hear the thoughts of those thinking about me and even now, I cannot block those thoughts as I can block others. What this means is, I've been collecting years of experience from others since I was a child. While I've never participated in it, I know a lot about the horrors of war. Even now, I can see what you've seen of it. My gift also means that I can pull ideas out of other people's heads and use them. No, I haven't talked to the council members directly, but I know what thoughts they've had about how to position the village guards. That is why I get upset when people judge by age. It doesn't really apply to me."

Baki stood there, frozen by surprise. _If she can put suggestions into other's minds, is it possible, then, that she helped with the decision to make Gaara Kazekage after all?_

"Yes, I did. He was the best candidate. Even the bias members of the Council could see that. They just needed a nudge in the right direction. Of course, these suggestions were made by me pulling up previous good memories they had of him. Not the actual suggestions that I'm capable of now."

"It's horrifying to think that you have so much power."

"Hence why, ever since I became a true shinobi, I've been under the constant watch of one Kage or another. Gaara knew me to be a threat even before the Sand invaded the Leaf. He originally formed these cuffs so that he might have some control over me." I held up my wrists. "Now that he trusts me, they serve a different purpose. But, still, he keeps an eye on me. I've been removed from active duty to ensure that I don't have the chance to meet enemy ninja and be swayed to a different side. He put me as the Head of Defense because he knows, so long as I am busy with something, I won't go adventuring without permission. Both he and Lady Tsunade have been extremely cautious when dealing with me."

"I can't imagine you betraying us," the elder ninja admitted.

"Neither can Gaara, but he wants to be sure. He knows that I'm only loyal to the village because I have people who are dear to me in it. If ever they were to betray, I'd just as soon leave. The Sand isn't really better than any other village. At least, not the way I see it." Baki crossed his arms and stared into space. I had managed to give him an image of how unstable my loyalty was. He finally realized why I didn't ever address Gaara in a formal manner. It was because I saw the redhead to be my friend, not my leader. I did as he wished because I could understand his requests, not because they were orders. The man found it to be a very precarious relationship.

"You've opened my eyes to just how formidable of an enemy you are." I frowned a little, my eyes softening.

"This wasn't supposed to come out as a threat. In fact, it's more of an example of my trust that I'd share so much with you. I'm not sure Temari and Kankuro are fully aware of the situation at hand. I just want you to understand me and how I think. I want you to trust me in return."

"You have my full faith, Lady Nari," he assured me. "Please, continue serving our village how you see fit."

"As you wish," I replied. Then, with a deep look of concern etched into his features, Baki left me to my plans.

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**Was it short? Yes. Was it better than the original chapter 31? Definitely! Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!**


	32. Preparing for War

**Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**P.S. If you didn't get the message about me changing chapter 31, you can go and read it now. It's not necessary though because it's mostly just a filler chapter.**

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I kept my features at a blank calm as Gaara conveyed all that had happened at the Five Kage Summit. It was a struggle, considering he had been attacked, but I managed. Even when he announced the declaration of war, I showed no emotion. I was shinobi; I'd act like one. Afterwards, I headed directly for my office to gather information on the ninja in the village. I had been personally updating their files, also including personality into the mix. Leaders tended to forget how things like that could affect a shinobi's performance.

Suddenly, Gaara strode in. "I can't tell if you want to talk to me or not," he said. I quirked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I keep hearing your voice but it's a strange. Almost as if you're humming to some non-interpretable tune." Scarlet filled my cheeks.

"I'm sorry. My mind is so used to being connected to yours, it's having a hard time keeping to itself. When you were away, it didn't matter since nobody could hear it. I'll try to keep it under control."

"Perhaps, it would be best if you shared some of your concerns."

"Probably not. I'm just overthinking things. It's kind of ridiculous." His eyes narrowed.

"I know you well enough, Nari, to know that your thoughts are never ridiculous. With how much you've experienced through the minds of others, you never allow them to be. What are your concerns?" Reluctantly, I rested my chin on folded hands and began to explain,

"Tobi being Madara Uchiha is my main issue. I knew him well during the time I spent under Itachi's tutoring and it doesn't make sense. While I admit, his mind never matched up to his outward personality, he still didn't seem like he could be Madara. If anyone…" I shook my head, pushing such suspicions away. "As I said, these thoughts are ridiculous. They make even less sense than reality."

"Is that all?" Although he also thought I needn't ponder over whether or not Tobi was Madara, he still believed some of my other worries might have some worth to them. I had predicted that Five Kage Summit was going to be attacked, after all.

"The rest of it is common worries everyone is suffering through. Who will die? How many will we lose? Will we even win? What if the Allied Nations turn on each other? It's stupid."

"Honestly, I didn't expect you to be so worried about the war. In fact, I figured the only thing you'd be interested in is whether or not you'll get to fight." A short laugh escaped my lips and I gave him an earnest smile. Gaara's eyes softened a little but not much. He, too, was stressed by the prospect of war. He wanted to protect all of the people of Suna, ninja and civilians, but he knew that was impossible. Deaths were going to be inevitable, no matter what he did.

"So, will I get to fight?"

"I don't know. I'll have to discuss it with Lady Tsunade and the other Kage since we're now all allies. The reason why is because you're such a danger on the battlefield. Not to mention, we can't be sure that the Akatsuki can't use you to replace Naruto in the resurrection of the Ten Tails. The other Kage should be alerted to this."

"I see. You're not going to try confining me, are you? You know that won't work on me."

"Yes, I've already realized this. Ideally, you'll be put into the Intel Unit. Either that, or I'll have you put somewhere where you'll only be used as emergency back-up." _So little faith, _I thought, sending it to him.

_Do you have a better suggestion?_

_Allow me to be an advisor. That would be best suited for my skills and you'd get your wish to keep me out of danger._

_The only way the other Kage would accept that is if you shared all of your information with them. They barely give me respect. It would be interesting to see how they treat you. Of course, you may be rejected on your history of shifting loyalty and your past with the Akatsuki. It's a risky idea. They could demand that you be locked up._

_Like you could put me in a prison._ I tried to imagine it and almost busted out laughing. No room could contain me and only the Sharingan would be powerful enough to trap me in a genjutsu.

_Do not resist their commands, Nari. Your actions would reflect on both of us._ I froze, frowning. _I know very well that you're only loyal to those you deem worthy. That is why I am asking you, for the duration of this war, to obey me. Not as your friend, but as your Kazekage._ Instinctively, I gritted my teeth. All my life, I had seen it as "If you can't beat me in battle, you have no right to order me around." As I studied Gaara, I became aware of how much he _didn't_ want to ask this of me. He had spent the past three years trying to bridge the gap in our relationship. Now that he had done it, he didn't want to lose it to some war. But he was the Kazekage and he'd put the shinobi world first, as he should.

"_You have my loyalty_," I said both out loud and in my thoughts; a double vow. "Lord Kazekage," I finished, nearly spitting it out. _Her pride has just taken a considerable blow_, he noted.

"Don't, Nari. You'll never be able to say those two words with respect, not to me, so let it be. Thank you for your compliance. I have one last order before I leave." I waited.

"I want you to make a complete profile on yourself. Everything related to your life as a shinobi should be included, especially everyone you've trained under and any notable ninja you've killed. I give you permission to block of some information from others' view, but anything I know, must be left revealed."

"Everything?"

"Everything. Obviously, you don't have to include personal information, like relationships, but you should have a list of your most trusted comrades. That is, if you're serious about becoming an advisor to the Allied Shinobi Forces."

"I am."

"Then do it." A swift nod was enough of a reply. "Also, I'd like to thank you for how you organized the files of the shinobi you sent over. It will make it easier to split the ninja into units." I beamed proudly, then set to work on my own profile. What a nuisance that would be to write…

►§◄

"You want to make a child an advisor to the Allied Forces," Lord Raikage demanded, glaring at me. The four able Kage, and the leader of the samurai, were in attendance and each were equally stunned. If Lady Tsunade was well enough, I'm sure she would've understood where Gaara and I were coming from.

"Allow me to explain," I offered, stepping out from behind my moon. "My name is Nari Ninetails and, though I may appear young, I'm more experienced than everyone in this room combined. I wish to be an advisor because I have a special skillset that allows me to see beyond my personal interests and determine what is best for the whole. If I were to be given this position, I would become a neutral pawn between all of those participating in the alliance."

"What skillset do you speak of?" Lady Mizukage asked softly. I took out five journals from my scroll pouch and distributed them to each official.

"Reading this will give you an idea of my gifts."

"There's a lot blocked out," Lord Tsuchikage noted.

"In this booklet, Nari has recorded everything in relevance to her life as a ninja. There are things in here that even I, who she considers as a close friend, do not know. I can assure you, however, that everything I do know is revealed. Whatever is hidden is personal information she has no reason to trust with any of us."

"A subordinate should never hide anything from their leader," the Samurai Master pointed out calmly.

"As a former jinchuriki, I know better than to try to control something more powerful than myself. Nari is a part of my village because she considers it worthy of her loyalty, not for any other reason. While she obeys me faithfully, I have no true power over her. Therefore, I do not force her to do things she does not want to do."

"I can see why you have that perspective," Lady Mizukage muttered, lowering her booklet. Her fast reading was quite impressive. _If this information is true, the child might be as powerful as a Tailed Beast herself. Lord Kazekage is right to act with caution when dealing with her._

"What do you mean by that?" Lord Raikage asked hotly. She waved him off and stared into my eyes.

"Explain something to me, Lady Nari. Why the Sand?" I nodded politely.

"Before I became a ninja of Konoha, I had gone around to the other Great Nations and asked to be a part of their villages. I was refused by each of them, but, while I was in Suna, I came across an interesting boy. I had just discovered that there were other demon children in existence, though not in the same way I was, so when I saw this boy single-handedly defeat to high-ranking ninja, I was beyond impressed. I decided to have a conversation with him and was instantly fascinated by his strange personality and the fact that I couldn't enter his mind. Sadly, the meeting only lasted a night and we didn't meet again for six years.

"The next time we met, I had just become a ninja of Konoha. Again, I had a short conversation with him, but he did not remember me. The next night, however, we fought each other in a heated battle. It was the first time, in nearly ten years, that I had been defeated in a battle solely based on ninjutsu. From that night on, he had my respect, albeit grudgingly. This boy later became the Kazekage of Suna. That is why I chose the Sand."

"You chose a village because of one person?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Most shinobi will murder in cold blood because of one person. Is it truly so hard to believe that this was how my decision was made?"

"If that's how you decided then we have no reason to trust you," Lord Raikage deemed. Biting my lip, I slowly calmed the anger bubbling up inside of me.

"You, of all people, should understand this," I replied. "Lord Killer Bee is only loyal to the Hidden Cloud because of you."

"How do you…," he stopped, remembering my mind reading abilities. _Now I understands what the Kazekage means by beyond his control._ "So, you're saying, if I beat you in battle, you'd join the Hidden Cloud instead?" I shook my head.

"You misunderstand my story. Gaara has my respect because he managed to defeat me. Gaara has my loyalty because of the person he is. I am loyal to Suna because he is loyal. It took my one conversation to feel connected to him. It took two to convince me that I'd follow him to the ends of the earth and back if he just asked."

"Perhaps, it would be best, instead of making you an advisor to the Allied Forces, to make you a guardian over the jinchuriki," Lord Tsuchikage suggested. They had already decided to hide the jinchuriki, they just needed Lady Tsunade's permission to carry it out.

"You would trust her with that?" Lord Raikage was incredulous. He had absolutely no faith in me at all.

"If you've read her profile, you know she's more than qualified to keep them under control. She also has experience when it comes to dealing with the Akatsuki. Besides, just by looking at them, you can tell that their relationship has gone far beyond one of simple friendship. I doubt the girl would ever betray Lord Kazekage." _Even at his age, he can see evidence of love?_ his granddaughter thought.

"I thought you were Lord Kazekage's love interest," Lady Mizukage admitted. I tried not to blush but it wasn't something you could control.

"Yes," Gaara agreed. "But she comes here as a trusted member of the Suna Council, not my love interest. As to Lord Tsuchikage, we did not consider this because Nari has already refused to be hidden with the jinchuriki. She knows, that even if she were just to participate as a normal ninja, she'd be more useful than as a guardian over the jinchuriki."

"That is true. Her powers are beyond comprehension and we shouldn't waste anymore military force if it's not necessary," the old man agreed.

"While I can't read minds like she can, I doubt any of us actually want her to take part in the initial action alongside the other ninja. It's too great of a risk with her unstable chakra, even with Lord Kazekage's cuffs to assist in controlling it. Making her an advisor, a buffer, for all of the Allied Forces seems to be best," Lady Mizukage stated calmly. Everyone but Lord Raikage agreed. Then, grudgingly, he accepted.

"We'll establish exactly what your role will be in another meeting, when the Hokage is in attendance." I bowed and thanked them for their cooperation before returning to my place behind Gaara. Then, closing my eyes and forming a single seal, I revealed the rest of the details in the booklets. Gaara noticed first and glanced back at me. _Are you sure about this?_ he asked.

_Yes. I can see it in all of their minds that it was a silent agreement to keep this information confidential. I have nothing to fear by revealing it._

_As you wish…_ Then the group launched into the next topic of discussion.

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**Since war is starting, I had to find something for Nari to do in the background. For those still curious about Nari's near immortality, answers are coming soon! Thanks for reading and please review.**


	33. The Intruder

**Hello again. There's not much to say so... enjoy!**

**P.S. Teen Wolf fans are going to see a reference in here.**

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Being a buffer and advisor for the Allied Forces meant two things. 1) I was always busy, all the time. Even with my level of stamina, I was exhausted by the end of each day. 2) I oversaw everything. Before meetings, I would relay issues to the five Kage, that way they remembered to bring it up. I also took part in a lot of decisions. For example, while Shikaku Nara organized the battle units, I had to review his plans before they were sent to the five Kage. It was tiring and tedious, but I enjoyed doing my part.

Currently, I was trying to judge the loyalty of those who would serve under foreign commanders. So far, they all seemed to respect their fKage and would follow their orders to the point. Still, there were a few who might cause problems, but I just noted their names and would give the list to the Raikage after I came up with an idea of how to ensure their obedience.

"Nari! I didn't expect to see you here," an all too familiar voice called out. I turned my head and watched as Sadao, dragging along a less excited Dai, came running towards me. "You're not part of the long-range unit, are you?"

"No. I'm just overseeing a few things."

"Oh, that's right. You're some high and mighty council member now. But you're still going to fight, right?"

"Only if it's absolutely necessary. The Kage are hesitant to put me in a fighting group because of my history."

"Miu and Takeo coming back to haunt you?" Dai chimed in.

"Always," I sighed. "But Lord Kazekage believes that the position I've been given suits me better anyway."

"I still can't believe you left the Leaf for the Sand," Sadao whined.

"She never really belonged to the Leaf. Even when she was on our team it was obvious to see that her thoughts were in Suna," Dai argued. I laughed a little and rubbed the back of my head. As I watched the pair, I couldn't help but to reminisce on the fights we had shared. Dai and Sadao always worked as a team because their water attack was hard to execute unless said enemy was already distracted. Sadao was the distraction and Dai performed the jutsu while hidden elsewhere. It was usually effective, though there were times when their skills became useless. I wasn't sure how much they could do in the upcoming war.

"Well, anyway…" All of a sudden, Sadao froze. I glanced at Dai, and he, too, was frozen. Their eyes didn't blink. They didn't even breathe.

"Look what we have here," a malicious voice growled from behind. My heart stopped for a split second before doubling its speed. I could feel the cold metal of a kunai pressed to my throat. _How did he sneak up on me?_ I demanded. _Why can't I hear his thoughts?!_ "You must be a member of the Mayona clan, not falling under my jutsu." I surveyed my surrounds with my eyes and saw something I could hardly believe. Everyone was frozen. Everyone and everything.

"What is this?" I hissed. "What do you want?"

"As a matter of fact, I came looking for you." I couldn't see the face of my attacker but his voice sounded vaguely familiar. It wasn't one of the Akatsuki, though. I would've known exactly who it was had that been the case. "And this jutsu you see, is the World Petrification Jutsu. Impressive, isn't it? Don't worry, it won't last much longer and your friends will be fine. If you just come with me, nobody will get hurt." I gulped but agreed. My chances of escape were higher if I wasn't worried about others.

Calmly, we walked out of the Village Hidden in the Clouds and towards a small canyon. Why he led me there of all places, I wasn't sure but I didn't care. Suddenly, I heard as water began to tricked again and the wind picked up. My ebony locks whipped about in the wind. Using the distraction as he struggled with my hair, I turned around, launching a chakra-infused hand at his face. I felt the sharp knick of cold metal piercing my skin, but the wound wasn't deep and the man shot away from me, covering his face with his hand. _That blow should've been enough to knock him out,_ I growled.

My attacker turned around and when he again revealed himself, a Hidden Mist ANBU mask hid his face. For whatever reason, a nagging sensation told me I knew who this was. Still, the gray cloak that draped around his shoulders and the white and red mask gave no answers.

"I was wondering when you'd fight back," he said calmly. "You must be very arrogant to think you can defeat me on your own." The momentary flutter of his heartbeat told me that he wasn't so sure I wouldn't be a match for him.

Hesitantly, I pulled three shuriken out of my pouch. He responded by producing a single kunai knife. "Perhaps, you're the arrogant one," I spat back, launching my weapons as a diversion so I could slip underground.

"You can't hide from me!" he called. I ignored this statement, producing a clone and letting her return to the surface as I attempted to slip underneath of him. As I shot my hand out, a kunai knife plunged into it and the man dragged me into the open.

"Who. Are. You?" I hissed between clenched teeth. He didn't grace me with a reply. As I feigned a struggle to escape him, my clone attacked from behind to no avail. Once I finally managed to rip from his grasps, it came to me. "You're a nine-tailed ninja," I exclaimed. His laughter was all I needed to confirm my suspicions. _Well, if that's the case, and you can read my mind, try to avoid this attack._

"Blast style: myriad of dragons!"

"Water style: water wall!" I smirked, knowing it wouldn't have any affect. Despite appearances, the tiny dragons bombarding my target weren't made of flames. They were chakra-infused pebbles moving at incredible speeds. It was my chakra that gave them the illusion of fire. The force of their impact against his skin was audible. His ANBU mask cracked.

"That's a formidable jutsu you have," he admitted. "I doubt anything but an earth wall could block it." Even that wouldn't be sufficient with the amount of force and speed backing up my rock dragons. The only way to avoid my jutsu was to disable them with another Myriad of Dragons Jutsu or to use a teleportation technique. He grimaced, obviously hearing my thoughts.

We remained at a stand-still for a few moments. While he did whatever he needed to, I was trying to contact Lord Raikage with my mind. It was of no use. Just as he had blocked me from reading his thoughts, I was unable to touch the minds of others, making my set of jutsu related to the Mayona Clan kekkei genkai useless.

Finally, wanting to get this risky battle over with, I launched another attack. I didn't know why it hadn't happened yet or what my opponent was thinking, but the idea of one of us absorbing the other's chakra downright terrified me. I wouldn't have it. Gaara still needed me too much for me to allow myself to die.

_Here goes nothing_, I thought, picking my most powerful technique. "Blast style: firestorm jutsu!" Only, it wasn't just my voice that shouted this. Our jutsu met in the middle, causing a fierce explosion to radiate throughout the entire canyon. We jumped back and neither of us had so much as been scratched. _If he knows that jutsu, than what other techniques is he capable of?_

"Shadow clone justsu! Nine tails jutsu! Nine-tailed replication jutsu! Blast style: mountain ash jutsu!" I rattled them off in rapid succession, creating a massive barrier of defense. One-hundred and fifty shadow clones made a wall in front of me. Wrapping in a tight circle around me were nine tails made of wind. Two nine-tailed clones were in front of my shadow clones and in between them and my clones was a line of what appeared to be normal ash. If anyone tried to cross it without my consent, the wall would erupt in flames. I'd like to see him try and get to me now.

As he began to beat at my defense, I took a breather. Such complicated jutsu such as the nine-tailed replication jutsu and the mountain ash jutsu required a lot of chakra, even for me. I had to rest a little before I returned to the offensive.

The other nine-tailed ninja had just finished off my second nine-tailed replication when I glanced up again. My shadow clones were quick to react, jumping over the line of mountain ash without worry; it wouldn't burn them. The man wasn't going easy on them. He used numerous jutsu attacks, all of which were overpowered. I saw the likeness between us then. Perhaps it was something in common of all nine-tailed ninja, but we both used extremely powerful attacks. It might have had something to do with our massive chakra stores.

By the time he finally defeated the shadow clones, I was ready to fight again. I hadn't bothered laying a trap since I knew he would've read right through it. Instead, I'd be taking a head-on battle strategy. Hopefully, it'd work. The man shot himself over the line of mountain ash, only to erupt into flames. His cries were muffled but he hurriedly pulled back, casting a water jutsu over himself to ease the burns. Then, he cast the same jutsu over the mountain ash. I smiled.

The mountain ash jutsu, like most of the blast style jutsu, incorporated earth style. Water was only helping me when the ash wasn't ignited. My opponent realized this too late as his water allowed the ash to cover a wider area. Now, the once thin line of defense, was nearly a foot across.

Patiently, I allowed him to exhaust himself as he fought my powerful defense. As I studied the man, I realized he only had three nature releases: water, fire, and wind. _How unfortunate it is that they're all right in a row. At least, with my earth style, I can beat any form of nature release. Hit him with earth and he's screwed. He doesn't have anything to overpower it. _Eventually, he paused. The other nine-tailed ninja was panting, and, to my surprise, I was too. This fight was dragging on too long. We'd run out of chakra before we defeated each other.

_If I could just knock him out…_ I let my nine tails jutsu drop, pulling out a kunai. I took a deep breath, focusing my area of attack. If I did it quick enough, only a great taijutsu master would be able to avoid me. I doubted my nine-tailed ninja enemy had such skills. Throughout the entire battle, he had relied solely on ninjutsu. I hurled over my ultimate defense and struck right in the middle of the crack I had formed earlier. The mask shattered and I jumped back, hiding behind the mountain ash again.

Two black eyes peered up at me, calm and collected. I gasped, taking another step back and dropping my weapon. "No. It can't be…" That face, so kind and yet etched with misery. Large eyes like charcoal and shoulders carrying the weight of the burden passed onto him by some unknown force. Short-cropped, midnight black hair that swooped to the left a little. Small nose and lips that were tainted a permanent, blood red. "You're dead," I whispered. "I watched you die."

Aiyota smiled sadly, running a hand through his hair. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Nari. It's been so long."

"No! It can't be! I killed you!" I produced three more shuriken. Whoever this was, it wasn't Aiyota. It couldn't be. He had burned into ashes. I had watched him… "This is some sort of transformation technique. You're a nine-tailed ninja. I can sense it."

"Yes, I am a nine-tailed ninja. Though, I don't amount to much compared to you. In all of the centuries I've roamed this earth, I've never met a nine-tailed ninja with blood as pure as yours. To actually hold the eyes of the beast, even in human form, it's amazing. But I guess that's what happens when two nine-tailed ninja breed."

"You're lying again. Both of my parents were nine-tailed foxes, not ninja. Who are you? Show your true self!" The man frowned, a crease forming on his forehead.

"Narimi, if you want the truth, all you have to do is read my memories." Suddenly, his thoughts were open to me. In fact, they were flooding in at an uncontrollable rate. _I walked through the forest, following the scent of the young nine-tailed ninja. She appeared laying in a tree, watching me…_

_If she could learn this jutsu, then she wouldn't need me anymore. I stared down at the bright-eyed child. Oh, how I was jealous of those ruby gems and yet, she was clueless to how lucky she was. _Your blood is so pure it makes my chakra tingle. You'd think you were the child of Kurama, not myself._ Still, her innocence and lack of respect for power had to be changed. Though I'd love to train her myself, I couldn't only assure that she'd survive on her own. The world would have to teach her the lessons I didn't have the ability to…_

_To my utter disbelief, fire launched itself at me in massive torrents. I closed my eyes and reappeared hidden in a tree. If it wasn't for my substitution jutsu, I would've been dead. After calming my racing heart, I glanced down at the girl. "Sensei?" she called. I was half-tempted to reveal myself, but I did not. This was perfect. This was my chance to let her go._

_"Sensei!" This time it was a scream. I could hear her tears as she searched frantically for me. _

_"Forgive me, Nari," I muttered and took off, shifting forms as I went. The ground felt better under padded paws…_

I pushed the memories away, forcing myself to reenter the present. My jaw clenched of its own accord as I stared at my first sensei. "My parents weren't both nine-tailed ninja. That's impossible," I said, unable to grasp all the truth he was thrusting into my face.

"But it is. I am the first nine-tailed ninja, if you haven't already guessed." That I could believe. He was extremely powerful and his control over everything was impeccable. I'd love to learn how to control my mind reading abilities as well as he could. "In my time, I've come up with a way to control our devious chakra and contain it within myself entirely, as most humans contain theirs. Therefore, I can spend time with any nine-tailed ninja for as long as I want without worrying about one of us stealing the other's chakra."

"So, you're saying you taught that trick to my parents?" He refused to answer.

"We'll save that particular conversation for another time. I know you have other questions that you'd rather ask about." Flickers of memories from all the times that I had been at Death's gates and had pulled through despite it all flashed across my thoughts. I growled, trying again to dislodge him from my brain. I didn't like him there, especially since I could tell what he was doing.

"Get out of my head," I snapped.

"Fine. I'll just tell you myself. It's about your inability to die." I froze, curiosity finally getting the best of me. The mystery did taunt me. "A nine-tailed ninja can only die three ways that I know of. A) their heart explodes, B) their brain loses its connection to the rest of the body, or C) chakra poisoning. The first two are pretty self-explanatory. These are how most nine-tailed ninja die, especially when they blow themselves up. Chakra poisoning is simple as well. Since we are unique in our chakra due to our variations in blood purity, we cannot accept chakra from anyone else. Once foreign chakra is in our system, it eats away at our natural chakra and, eventually kills us. Medical ninjutsu is different, of course."

"You mean to say that I'll live indefinitely?"

"You? Probably. Most other nine-tailed ninja die in their two-hundreds." I grimaced. I didn't want to live that long, watching my friends and family perish. I didn't mention that to him.

"Is that really all you came here for? To tell me about how I can and cannot die and that you're still alive?"

"No. I came to assist in the war. Since the Land of Fire is involved, it's my duty to protect it. That and I did wish to see how far my student has come. You're powerful, but not so intelligent. Blast style is supposed to be the combination of wind and fire. Your combination of earth and wind should be named something else entirely. But, I suppose that's what happens when an uneducated ninja creates their own techniques." I scowled at my old sensei.

"Why should we trust you?" This took him aback.

"Now, now, Nari. Don't let your temper misguide your judgment. You know that I'm trustworthy and that I'll be a great help in the war. My chakra control is better than yours after all."

"Fine, Aiyota. But, if you so much as threaten…"

"Gaara?"

"The five Kage, I will take you out." His darks eyes flashed with amusement.

"You can hiss at me all you want, child. I know, deep down, you're glad I'm alive and well." This I couldn't deny. Though I was wary of him, I was happy to have my sensei back. He was a good man. I had always known that.

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**I know he seems kind of random and childish in this chapter, but you'll come to love and respect Aiyota in time. Trust me. You're also going to really like the next chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!**


	34. Proposal

**I've had this idea for quite a while now, in fact it's what I was unsure about adding in an earlier chapter, but I think it fits nicely for the point we are in the story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

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Wind tousled my black tresses as I stood just outside of the building where the five Kage were meeting. I watched as loose ends whipped and snapped in the flowing air. It almost appeared as though my hair were alive. Suddenly, Aiyota appeared beside me. I didn't say anything. As part of the agreement for him to gain the Kage's trust, he had to keep his thoughts open to me. Currently, he didn't actually want anything. In fact, he was just searching for company, perhaps to chat a little.

Despite first impressions, my sensei was an extremely quiet and thoughtful man. His wisdom was unparalleled, but that was to be expected. Not only had he experienced innumerable situations personally, but he gained countless others by reading the thoughts of those he had encountered over time. There was nothing the man didn't know about.

On top of that, he was very observational. Nothing went unnoticed by him. Even slight changes in the angle of which a headband slants caught his eye. Then again, he had the time to notice everything, to study it all. Since this was the first time he had appeared to any of the new Kage, they didn't trust him as anything more than a soldier so he didn't have any assignments. His lifespan was indefinite, he didn't have to sleep, he barely needed to eat. While I was starving near every second of the day, the stillness in which he rested allowed him to reserve his ungodly amounts of energy. Then again, the fact that he had slowed his metabolism when he gained perfect chakra control meant that he wouldn't burn through his meals quite as fast as I did.

_It's strange seeing you so at ease,_ he noted. I mentally shrugged. My job was pretty much finished until actual war commenced and I had received the day off from Lord Raikage. He hadn't realized that I had been literally working through the night almost every night until I brought Aiyota to him. It was my sensei who had suggested that I sleep.

_Are you listening to their meeting?_ he asked, trying to start up conversation. I shook my head. While I probably should, I honestly didn't want to know any more about the war. Even talking to other shinobi was beginning to bother me. The possibility of having to attend their memorial service was too high. I didn't want to form new connections just to lose them later.

_I never saw you as a sensitive person_, Aiyota admitted, showing a concern for my mental stability. If I was worried now… War might just crush me.

_It's only because I'm forced to wait. If we were actually fighting, I probably wouldn't blink if an ally died. _He, too, felt like this. Of course, he had a better excuse. He had participated in every other ninja war involving the Land of Fire so mass death wasn't new to him. His coping method consisted of deliberately ignoring those around him unless it was to give or receive orders. Aiyota, since the day of his first transformation, had always lived in solitude, thus was the life of the first nine-tailed ninja.

_Gaara's coming_, he thought suddenly, turning his head in the direction from which the Kazekage would appear. My heart pinged with excitement. The last time we had talked was nearly a week ago, and even then it was only a brief conversation. It didn't last five minutes. _I'll leave you two, then. Enjoy your mate tonight._ I cringed away from the animalistic term and waited for my moon to appear. He appeared a few moments later, walking with Temari.

"Nari," he noticed me immediately.

"Hello, Gaara, Temari."

"How have you been, Nari? We haven't seen you lately," Temari began.

"Stressed. I've come to the conclusion that I'll probably enjoy actual war more than I enjoy preparing for it. All of this anticipation is getting to me. I just want to get it over with already." She nodded in agreement, knowing exactly how I felt. She also seemed to understand that I wouldn't be so freaked out if somebody died in front of my eyes. I didn't allow myself to get close enough to very many people to care.

"Are you waiting for someone?" Gaara asked, jumping into the conversation.

"No. Lord Raikage gave me the day for myself. Aiyota-sensei thinks I've been over doing it." The redhead nodded in complete agreement. He could physically see the toll my duties were taking on me. Not to mention, my eyes were duller than normal. Apparently, they usually sparked whenever I talked to him.

"Well, Gaara is also free for the rest of the day. Why don't you spend some time together?" Temari said, already making a move to leave. _Thanks_, we both mentally thanked her, but she could hear me. I saw her wink before disappearing.

"So, how did the Kazekage get the day off?" I asked as we began to stroll casually around Kumo.

"The same way you did," he replied. "War could begin any second and, as commander-in-chief, the other Kage want to ensure that I'm prepared to lead and participate in battle at any moment. Not to mention, Temari and Kankuro have both been fighting me to rest. I don't remember when I last slept."

"I know what you mean," I sighed. The last time I had had a full night's sleep was eight days ago. Other than that, the closest thing I had come to sleep was, maybe, thirty minutes of leaning against a wall or tree with my eyes closed. We both were in dire need of rest. Why hadn't I used my free day to sleep? Because I wanted to see my moon. I needed to see him.

Peaceful silence settled around us. We didn't even converse through our minds. Gaara had asked me to keep from his thoughts just after Temari left. I would respect that decision. As we walked, Lady Mizukage came across us.

"Nari," she exclaimed, coming closer. Chojuro was close at her heels. "I was hoping I would happen across you. There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Of course," I replied, showing my willingness to answer anything on her mind.

"You explained in your profile that you have three chakra natures and have been able to combine them in multiple manners but you referred to all of them as blast style…"

"Oh, that. You'll have to forgive me. I've never had a formal education in chakra and jutsu properties. Aiyota also corrected this mistake, I just haven't thought of a new names for the other techniques. True blast style is the combination of wind and fire."

"I see. I was also curious about if you were able to combine all three."

"There is one jutsu I know in which I use all three but I never use it. I mean, I never actually mastered it. The process is difficult." She nodded, understanding. The reason why she had asked because she thought I might be able to perform Particle Style, the Tsuchikage's jutsu. If so, she was going to put in a request for me that I be tutored by the man himself. Lady Mizukage was now convinced that she would do so after the war. My potential was unparalleled to anyone else she had met before.

"Thank you for allowing me to interrupt you." She eyed us suspiciously and then strode off.

"That was odd," I commented. Gaara shook his head.

"You don't seem to realize exactly how much the other Kage wish to possess you. They've realized and regret their decision to push you away."

"I don't see why. If I was actually under their complete command, they'd hate me. I just don't listen well enough." He agreed silently. Again, silence encompassed us. Part of me wanted to break the promise I had made to let his mind have privacy, but I didn't. We were supposed to be a mutual, working pair. If I went around disobeying, him it'd only cause problems in the end.

Finally, as dusk fell upon us, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Whatever was bothering him was going to be shared with me, one way or another. I led him up into the higher parts of the Village Hidden in the Clouds and into a building. We perambulated the halls at a calm pace, but I was taking him to the top. The stars in the moon looked lovely from the roof of this particular place. I knew this from experience.

Just a few minutes from our final destination, my moon spoke up. "Nari," a slight hesitation, "I've been thinking about our relationship." I froze, horrified by where this might be going. The possibilities immediately filled me with dread.

"And?" I asked, tentatively.

"You're possibly the most important person in the world to me." I relaxed, realizing that this wasn't headed in a bad direction. "My thoughts stray to you when I'm alone and I miss you when you're gone. I want to spend every moment with you and I know that I love you more than anything in this world." My heart skipped a beat as he turned to face me, taking my hands in his and gently circling his thumbs over my wrists as he normally did. Pale ice peered into my soul, forcing me to seriously acknowledge all he was saying. "Nari Ninetails, with your permission, after this war is finished, I would like to marry you and claim you as my own for the rest of eternity."

"Gaara," I breathed, beyond shocked. He invited me into his mind, to see for myself that he meant every word of it. The boy had gone so far to even ask his sister and brother on how he should go about asking me. He had been building up to this moment ever since he saw me waiting for him after his meeting. Gaara wanted me. Just me. "I would be honored to marry you." Relief flooded his system and he pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you, Nari," he said, stepping back. I laughed a little.

"Don't thank me. You're the one who made me fall in love with you," I responded, putting a hand on his cheek. Then, I leaned forward and planted a tender kiss on his lips. "Come on." I tugged at his fingers, taking him to the roof. My eyes, of their own accord, flickered to the stars and marveled at their wonder. "Lay down with me," I said, laying on the flat roof and staring up. He obliged, refusing to release the hand I had given him to drag him to the roof. I didn't mind, interlacing my fingers with his own.

We stared p at the cosmos, content with each other's presence. _I wonder how many are up there_, Gaara thought, trying to count the stars.

"Thousands," I replied instinctively. He could tell I had more to say on the subject so he turned his face towards me, waiting. "The stars are the souls of all the past shinobi. They're watching over us and each star has a specific person they watch over. Their observations go to Mopa, the goddess of judgment and prayer. She then evaluates our lives and decides what to do with our souls after we die." A small smile touched my moon's lips.

"I never saw you as a religious person," he admitted.

"I'm extremely religious, as far as my religion goes. My strict moral values are completely based off the religion. It's how I decided what was right and wrong."

"But you don't pray or…"

"You don't talk to the gods unless they talk to you. What is meant by Mopa being the goddess of prayer is that she hears and records everything we say to the gods or about them. For example, my stupid habit of thanking the gods despite the fact that they probably had nothing to do with the situation. I mean, they could but it's said that the higher beings tend not to interfere with us inferior life forms."

"One day, you'll have to teach me more about your gods.

"Sure," I agreed, secretly delighted by the idea. The gods were a very interesting subject and it would bring up some other fascinating topics I wished to discuss. The event would be a learning process for both of us. I had no doubts about it. The young Kazekage returned his eyes to the sky and I rolled onto my side, curling up beside him. Just being in his arms again was making me drowsy. I yawned, my eyelids growing heavy.

"Nari," Gaara called softly, keeping me awake. "Let's go inside and lay down. We shouldn't sleep out here." I moaned, shifting into fox form and crawling into his arm so he could simply use the teleportation technique instead of walking the entire way. He held me tight and then laid me on the bed in the room they had given him. With one eye, I observed as he removed all of his clothing aside from his baggy, black shorts. Then, he came to lay beside me.

I shifted forms again, wanting to feel that delicate, beautiful skin under my fingertips. "You should undress too," he pointed out.

"I'm too lazy," I muttered, snuggling my face into his neck. For once, I let myself fall asleep before he did.

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**I'm sorry it was so short but I didn't want to drag the chapter out and ruin the major mood I was trying to set. Thanks for reading and please review!**


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